Right-hander Scott Blewett has signed with the Uni-Lions of the Chinese Professional Baseball League, per CPBL Stats.
Blewett, 27, signed a minor league deal with the Braves at the end of March. He’s since made 17 appearances for their Triple-A club, including 13 starts, logging 72 2/3 innings. He allowed 4.21 earned runs per nine innings in that time, struck out 24.7% of batters faced, walked 9.4% of them and got grounders on 42.6% of balls in play.
The Braves recently got Max Fried back from the injured list, rejoining the rotation next to Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton, Bryce Elder and Yonny Chirinos. Spot starts this year have gone to players on the 40-man roster like Allan Winans, Michael Soroka, AJ Smith-Shawver, Dylan Dodd and Jared Shuster.
Despite Blewett’s generally solid work this year, his path towards a role on the big league club was a steep one. But it will get him a chance to prove himself in Taiwan, likely with a higher salary than he was earning in the minor leagues.
Prior to this year, Blewett spent most of his career with the Royals, who selected him in the second round in 2014. He was able to make his major league debut with that club, tossing eight innings over 2020 and 2021 with a 3.38 ERA. He was outrighted at the end of that latter campaign, then spent 2022 with the White Sox on a minor league deal without getting called back to the big leagues.
Not the best last name for a pitcher.
Maybe that explains his new venue. Perhaps in China, “Blewett” translates to “Honorable and Intelligent Man”.
Great name for male movies
Freddie – Talk about low hanging fruit!
Certainly worse than Then.
Guess he blewett over here.
He had to play somewhere his name isn’t an instant joke.
I could’ve sworn this guy had been around for a decade or more. The name is so notable and all …
Maybe you have him confused with Grant Balfour!
Grant Balfour, the intentional walk specialist, whose career was tragically ended by a rules change.
Worst last names for Pitchers in MLB:
(Bob) Walk
(Scott) Blewett
(Grant) Balfour
(Erick) Plunk
(Roy) Hitt
(Zack) Pop
Best Reliever name:
(Colin) Holderman
You forgot Aaron Bummer.
Josh Outman
Sean Doolittle
Homer Bailey
Maybe he’ll come back to the US someday and become an all-star closer.
I’m guessing the agent wanted a payday because there really is no reason to go to Taiwan in his situation. It’s the #3 league in Asia and the pay isn’t much more than what a player of his caliber is making over here. Plus, players don’t come back to MLB from Taiwan. Pretty odd.
Braves manager Brian Snitker called him into his office the other day and told Scott “I gave you a chance to be on this roster but you blew it. “Braves pitcher Charlie Morton told Blewett “ I’m in baseball and you’re in baseball also.I’m an MLB pitcher but you are not an MLB pitcher.”