Less than a year after being traded from Texas to Milwaukee, right-hander Matt Bush is back in the Rangers organization. The 37-year-old Bush, released by the Brewers last week, has signed a minor league deal with the Rangers, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. The Full Circle Sports Management client has been assigned to Double-A Frisco for the time being.
Traded from the Rangers to the Brewers in exchange for utilityman Mark Mathias and lefty Antoine Kellylate last July, Bush never quite found his footing in Milwaukee. At the time of the deal, he boasted a 2.95 ERA (2.77 SIERA), 29.8% strikeout rate and 6.6% walk rate in 36 2/3 innings. Bush’s strikeout rate actually improved a slight bit down the stretch in Milwaukee, but his walk rate crept up two percentage points as well. Most problematically, he became quite susceptible to home runs, yielding six long balls in 23 innings down the stretch.
Bush still posted a serviceable 4.30 ERA in Milwaukee, home run troubles notwithstanding, and his strong strikeout/walk numbers were enough for the team to tender him a contract. The two parties agreed to a $1.85MM salary for the current season, but Bush took a step back in nearly every notable category. After averaging 97.4 mph on his fastball in 2022, the right-hander sat at 94.8 mph in limited work with the Brewers this season. That’s perhaps attributable to tendinitis in his right rotator cuff, which sent him to the injured list for nearly two months, but whatever the reason, the results were grim.
In 12 appearances this year, Bush pitched just 10 1/3 innings while allowing 11 runs on 11 hits and five walks. Five of those 11 knocks were homers, and Bush’s strikeout rate plummeted nearly 10 percentage points (from 30.3% to 20.8%) while his walk rate spiked more than five percentage points (from 7.4% to 12.5%).
The Rangers have been searching for bullpen upgrades for some time — they acquired Aroldis Chapman from the Royals in the only notable trade of deadline season thus far — so it’s not altogether surprising that they’d take what’s basically a free look at a pitcher they know quite well. Bush regularly worked in high-leverage spots with the Rangers from 2016-22, totaling 177 2/3 innings of 3.34 ERA ball with a 24.8% strikeout rate, 7.6% walk rate, 46 holds and 12 saves in that time. He won’t be viewed as any kind of definitive solution for the Rangers, who’ll presumably remain in the market for relief upgrades even after acquiring Chapman, but Bush could be a second-half option if he can get back on track in the minors.
I want an employer who is as loyal to Matt Bush as the Rangers are.
I still have mad respect for this guy for sticking to it, and trying to not let past mistakes hold him back. Hope he recaptures his form in Texas.
Respect for a guy who drove over someone’s head….that’s a take.
@dotnet22 Get some new material.
He’s never had any sort of incident after getting out of prison. You don’t have to like him, but I do respect him for trying his hardest to change and make his way back into a career where he had everything in front of him, only to throw it away. What this really boils down to is if you believe people can change. Given how hard he’s worked to get where he is and change himself when the easy thing would have been to fall back into old habits, I’d say that’s worthy of some respect.
It’s called recovery. It’s a thing that some people can accomplish. As a society we should be happy about stories like this, because for every Matt Bush there are probably dozens of Josh Hamiltons. The man got his life back on track and has been able to be a constructive member of society since. God forbid…
@dotnet22 Damn he has a long rap sheet of be a POS. Guy got special treatment and is free and somehow still able to play baseball. Trevor Bauer gets essentially banned despite never being convicted but Matt Bush is a great guy. Wow!
Bush has publicly apologized, been forgiven by the guy he hurt the most, has never had another incident, and by all accounts has done everything possible to change himself for the better. Let me know when Trevor Bauer does anything like that.
@buzz killington, dude I love your name, and it makes this comment even funnier XD
I do not like Bush as a person, but he did persevere after screwing up, and not many people get the opportunities that he did, so I’m glad he didn’t waste it.
It’s easy for me to project an image on Bush that he is a changed man these days, but I really don’t know that for sure. I personally thought Josh Hamilton was a changed man these days, but then I saw what he was in court for in the news recently.
When it all boils down to Baseball itself, I respect Matt’s ability to keep going and playing, and as a former #1 Overall Draft pick, his signing bonus alone may’ve already been enough to retire with. But he keeps playing, at 37, when most guys could be retired, which is what I respect him for. Can’t ignore the Rap Sheet, but also can’t ignore the hard work.
“When Bush was in jail he had a chance to think about his life, reflect on his choices. If only I got another chance. I didn’t get those choices.”
Matt Bush was driving drunk on a suspended license (2 previous DUIs), already had two hit-and-runs earlier in the day, and plowed into a motorcycle, running over the victim’s head while fleeing the scene.
“Ten of the 12 ribs on his right side and two on his left were broken. He fractured eight vertebrae. His right lung was collapsed and bruised. He fractured his right cheek bone, his left shoulder blade and his left hand. There was bleeding on his brain.”
You dont need to say anything nice about this guy.
But who has Trevor hurt the most? Are you talking about the woman who accused him? The same woman who video taped herself next to him the following morning the violence occurred despite looking perfectly content and happy?
You didn’t see or hear about a public apology because he believes he didn’t hurt her and there was mutual consent to physical action. Don’t apologize if you don’t believe you did anything wrong. Even the legal system didn’t convict him. However, public opinion did.
It’s really quite amazing Bush has been able to carve out a nearly 7 year Major League career after how it started. He’s made almost $8M before taxes and paying his agent (mostly from his signing bonus) but I wonder what financial obligation he has to the people he hurt as a result of his DUIs.
@neurogame
Public opinion, MLB, and, most importantly, an independent arbitrator who gave him the longest ever suspension for domestic abuse.
Cocaine fueled rage as well
I have mad respect for all the players who didnt drive over a person’s head and then flee the scene
I didn’t exactly come here to hate on Matt Bush, but good point.
The bullpen options in the minors have been just as bad as on the major league team. Jonathan Hernandez, Danny Duffy, Antoine Kelly, Lucas Jacobsen, Edwar Colina, Ian Kennedy, Marc Church, Yerry Rodriguez, Chase Lee, Cole Winn, Spencer Howard, Daniel Robert, Kyle Cody, Jack Leiter, Taylor Hearn … these were all potential options to help the Rangers this season and they all have been wild and/or ineffective. Might as well take a flyer on Bush. And whomever is the pitching coach(es) down there needs a firm boot in the a$$ out the door, because every single one of them have regressed.
Alex speas is finally back from multiple injuries and throws over 100. In aa and aaa combined, he’s at a 1.06 era with 55k in 34 innings.
Ryan tepera has thrown 10 scoreless innings in aaa this year, only giving up 3 hits. He’s 35 but is only 2 years removed from having a 2.79 era in the majors
Chase lee has pitched well in aaa. In a hitters league, a 3.27 era with 59k in 44 innnings is not bad
Taylor Hearn has been ok
Justin slaten has been great in frisco. 1.42 era in 25 innings. He had a rough year last year but he might have found something
Antoine kelly has been decent in aa. If he can bring his walks down a bit, he’ll be another option
I’m sure the rangers will make moves before the deadline but they have some current options now. However, they’ll cost a 40 man spot. I’d really like to see speas get a shot soon
I’m excited about Speas and think back to the days when the Rangers brought up Neftali Feliz for a late season push. Just flat out gassed everyone. He’s still harnessing control, but I bet he gets promoted soon. Tepera … a recent sign … and TBH, I don’t know why they haven’t promoted him yet. The numbers have been good and he’s got big league experience. Yerry Rodriguez and Brad Miller have no business taking a 40 man spot, so there’s two potential ones right there. Cole Winn is on Defcom Level 20 meltdown and I’m not sure he survives a roster spot this offseason. The thing is … there is a ton of potential in that minor league system on the pitching side. Very little has been actualized.
You’re right about Brad Miller. He’s a waste.
Also, cut John King already. The guy is a batting practice pitcher. Worse than that, Bochy seems to like him. He has a career .277 batting average against at AAA, and .281 in MLB. It doesn’t matter that he gets ground balls if they’re smoked for base hits.
Winn can go. Can’t throw strikes, can’t pitch. Texas has entirely too many of those guys.
Also, cut Spencer Howard. It’s not going to work. He doesn’t have it. It’s laughable the Rangers thought they could fix him. A Team with a history of not being able to develop pitchers was going to fix Spencer Howard. Tampa Bay, maybe, but not Texas.
Texas does have a history of fixing veteran guys actually. They fixed Lance Lynn, and got some great seasons out of Kyle Gibson and Martin Perez. They traded mostly nothing to get Spencer Howard, might as well take a stab at it.
No, they didn’t trade mostly nothing to get Spencer Howard. The numbers Gibson, Kennedy, and Crouse were putting up at the time were some of the best of their career. On top of that, Gibson had a year of control left. If you look at those players now then you can make that statement. Of course it that’s how we are playing it then Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, and Martin Perez are far from “fixed.” Just another one of Daniels’ many mistakes.
They fixed Lynn and flipped him for Dunning, a great move. Crouse might never play in the majors and Gibson was one year of control on a terrible team with no aspirations, who cares what he’s doing now? Perez is still just fine and had a great year last year. I think you should take another look
Lots to correct:
Lynn for Dunning was an Ok deal. Far from great. I’d much rather have had Lance Lynn the past two seasons than Dane Dunning. This year it’s a different story. Lynn was an ace. Dunning was a good get. Far from great.
Crouse already played in the majors, briefly. He’s had injury concerns. He’s a reliever now. He has about as much chance of being a successful Major Leaguer as Spencer Howard.
What Gibson is doing now does not matter. That is correct. When Texas traded him, he was an all-star starting pitcher, having a career year, with one season left of team control. The return was Spencer Howard, Kevin Gowdy, and Josh Gessner, AND Texas gave up Ian Kennedy and Hans Crouse. Absolutely pathetic trade. Anyone who understood baseball knew it at the time. Sadly that did not include the Texas Rangers front office.
As for Perez, he’s very similar to Mike Minor. Pitched above his head last year. Now regressing to his normal self. He won’t be back next season. I’m hoping he finishes strong.
As Theodore Roosevelt said, “If you could kick the person in the pants responsible for most of your trouble, you wouldn’t sit for a month.” Case in point, Matt Bush.
Drafted #1 overall (just ahead of Verlander, d’oh!), he was in and out of trouble with the law and drinking, and then spent 3-1/2 years in prison for almost killing a pedestrian while drunk. After his release, he got another chance at baseball and finally made it to the Show. He’s also had multiple are surgeries along the way.
He had it all, lost it all, and then got a second chance. I hope he appreciates how patient the game has been with him, and that he uses all his strength to never go back to the person he used to be.
LOL! Great quote, and I never heard it before.
Past that, I hope he makes enough money to repair the damage he has done with his life. Everyone deserves a second chance.
He got a second chance and then a third chance and then a fourth chance before he drove drunk on a suspended license, crashing the car three times, fleeing every scene, and leaving a man for dead after driving over his head
Bush has great stuff but it doesn’t matter much when you throw hanging off speed pitches center cut, and fastballs right down the middle
Geez…a 37 year old Bush? Yuch…
Human garbage and a complete scumbag. The next time a baseball team preaches about morals, values, or the rights of a special interest group keep in mind that teams keep employing people like Matt Bush and that Ryan Braun is honored as an all-time great in MLB the Show 23.
But… he didn’t have an affair. He can’t possibly be as bad as Bauer/Chapman etc. That’s why MLB forgives him. Now, if he gets Bauered, he would be out of a job.
Gets Bauered? You mean found to have been in violation of MLB’s domestic violence policy to such a degree that it earns the longest suspension for domestic violence in league history?
Bauer was railroaded for his sexual preferences. His preferences do not at this time fall under the protected umbrellas (despite being more common than those which are currently considered sacred) and as such pearl clutching occured as we once again allow archaic morality to bleed into people’s personal lives.
Railroaded by an independent arbitrator…
Wondered when this would happen.
Good! Now trade for M Gore.
This is good for the Brewers, they get to save a few bucks now that he is on a minor league deal. Might be able to afford a few new pine tar applicators
as a brewers fan, I’m just glad he’s no longer on our team. good on him for finding work elsewhere.
This is good for the Brewers, they get to save a few bucks now that he is on a minor league deal. Might be able to afford a few new pine tar applicators for current hitters.
Sometimes I like to pretend I can ride dragons
they needed someone knew to throw to their home run derby participants
Hey Matt, the bus leaves 45 minutes after the game… Be under it!
Matt Effing Bush deserves so much less. As long as he’s alive, I can hope karma strikes back. Same goes for his trashy family, especially his brother.
Seeing him sprint out of thr bullpen in his first MLB game made me think someone breaking out of prison.
Some of y’all are really vindictive. He served his time, what the heck else do you want?
I want him to not play for a team I root for, duh
jUsT wHaT wE nEeDeD!
Full Circle Sports Management – aptly named? 😛