The Diamondbacks granted right-hander Zach McAllister his release from their Triple-A affiliate in Reno, MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes reports. He’d been with the Aces all season and is now a free agent.
McAllister, 35, hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2018. He spent six years as a steady back-of-the-rotation starter and then middle reliever in Cleveland, pitching to a combined 3.84 ERA with a 21.4% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate in 529 innings of work. McAllister fell off quickly, however; he was rocked for a 6.20 ERA in 45 frames during the 2018 season and hasn’t pitched at the MLB level since.
McAllister had brief stints with the Triple-A affiliates for the Dodgers (2019) and Phillies (2021) but didn’t reach 15 innings in either of those seasons. He tossed 67 2/3 frames of 3.99 ERA ball with the Cardinals’ top minor league club last year, striking out 30% of his opponents along the way, and has a 4.93 ERA in 38 1/3 Triple-A innings with Reno this season. It’s an ugly number on the surface, though it’s worth pointing out just how hitter-friendly the Pacific Coast League is; nearly two-thirds of PCL pitchers with 30 or more innings this year have an ERA north of 5.00. McAllister has again fanned 30% of his opponents in 2023, although his 11.2% walk rate leaves plenty to be desired.
With the D-backs not giving him a look before today’s out date, the veteran righty will head back to the market in search of a new opportunity with a club in clearer need of bullpen depth.
Forgot about this guy
I wonder if his brother Kevin is doing ok after being left Home Alone.
I liked McAllister when he was early in his MLB career.
His fastball had no movement, but he could spot it well, and he had a curve that was solid. With that combo…and in the Cleveland org…it figured that he would develop a third pitch that would make him a solid rotation piece that could eat innings.
But, alas, that didnt happen.
Geez, couldn’t he have done better than some of the stiffs they’ve thrown out there?
These Cleveland starters just fall off the face off the planet after leaving the team.
Their goop is proprietary, 2nd only to Houston’s….hard to replicate elsewhere.