The Astros informed reporters (including Chandler Rome of the Athletic) that they’ve released reliever Blake Taylor and infielder Joe Perez. Both players had cleared outright waivers this afternoon. Rather than retain them at Triple-A Sugar Land, Houston elected to move on entirely.
Taylor made 92 appearances for Houston between 2020-22. The southpaw was generally successful at keeping runs off the board, working to a 3.06 ERA through 79 1/3 innings. Neither his 19.1% strikeout rate nor 12.6% walk percentage were particularly impressive, though, and Taylor had increasingly been pushed to low-leverage work.
He’d spent all of 2023 on optional assignment to Sugar Land. The 27-year-old carried a 5.15 ERA over 36 2/3 frames there, walking over 13% of batters faced against a modest 14.9% strikeout rate. He lost his roster spot earlier this week when Houston snagged Jake Cousins off waivers from Milwaukee.
Perez was the roster casualty from the Justin Verlander trade. The 23-year-old has one major league appearance, which came as a pinch-hitter last season. A former second-round pick, the righty-hitting Perez has a below-average .255/.328/.399 slash over 357 Triple-A plate appearances this year. Prospect evaluators have credited the 6’1″ corner infielder with promising raw power but swing-and-miss concerns. He’s gone down on strikes at a lofty 27.2% clip this season.
Shocked no one wanted to take a look at Perez.
Or Taylor to be honest, if anything he’s had some success at the Major League level in the past. They will find an MILB contract somewhere.
Dana Brown cleaning out the guys he doesn’t need. I’m going to be really curious how he addresses the organization’s absence of INF prospects. The SS he took in the draft is a start.
Tigers need to sign them, better than Maton
Blake Taylor has good upside potential. Yankees/Rays type of relief pitcher fixer upper.
Perez was mentioned as someone they should target last year at the deadline. Worth taking a flier on like Eddys Leonard. Another middle infield prospect to add to the glut of them they have.
Taylor would the best reliever in the Mets pen but Eppler is gonna go claim players with 7 era’s in the minors instead.
Mets should def bring him back.
Would like the Mets to bring Blake Taylor back into the organization.