The Angels announced that they have selected the contract of righty reliever Ryan Zeferjahn. In a corresponding roster move, fellow reliever Mike Baumann has been designated for assignment.
Baumann has ridden the DFA carousel throughout the season. The righty is out of options, so teams need to continue taking him off the 40-man roster if they nudge him out of the bullpen. No club has successfully gotten Baumann through waivers. He has gone from the Orioles to the Mariners, Giants and Halos via DFA resolutions throughout the year.
The 28-year-old hasn’t pitched especially well at any of those stops. He owns a cumulative 5.24 ERA through 44 2/3 innings. The Jacksonville product’s 19.5% strikeout percentage, 10.2% walk rate and 1.61 home runs per nine are all subpar. A few teams have nevertheless been intrigued by his still above-average velocity (96.4 MPH on the fastball) and last year’s decent results. He’s a season removed from a 3.76 ERA across 64 2/3 innings with Baltimore.
Baumann will land back on waivers in the next couple days. Any claiming team would need to keep him in the MLB bullpen. He surpassed the two-year service threshold this season and will play on a pre-arbitration salary for another year.
Zeferjahn, a University of Kansas product, steps into the vacated bullpen spot. The 6’5″ righty is a former third-round pick of the Red Sox. Command issues quickly pushed him to the bullpen, where Zeferjahn has shown strikeout stuff. He has fanned more than 28% of opponents in his five-year minor league career. That’s up to nearly 31% this season between the top two minor league levels. Zeferjahn carries a 3.33 earned run average across 46 innings on the season.
The Angels acquired him as part of a four-player return for reliever Luis García at the deadline. Three of them — Zeferjahn, outfielder Matthew Lugo and first baseman Niko Kavadas — were in the high minors at the time. Kavadas debuted last week. Los Angeles would have needed to add Zeferjahn to the 40-man this offseason to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. They’ll give him his first big league opportunity a few weeks earlier than that as he tries to carve out a middle relief role going into next season.
What’s your thoughts on zeferjahn red Sox fans?
Big hit in Rocket City
Funny, they’re bringing up all these pitchers, while we’re all sitting here waiting for Moore to be called up. I’ll stand on my record that I’m ok with Moore staying down as long as he needs to. there’s no rush.
Baumann wasn’t long for the team, so this is fine. Lets see what Super Hans can do.
@kellin they need to see who they have for the bullpen next year surprised Reyes hasn’t been called up. Moore is kinda slumping but he’s still doing better than schanuel when they called him up, hasn’t made a error, and they could use a 2nd baseman. Unless they want to go for the 1st overall pick since the whitesox can’t get it.
@Rexhudler86 who’s Reyes? I’m not aware of a Reyes in the Angels org since Gerardo Reyes who’s now with the A’s.
I meant Torres
As pitchers adjust, Moore is beginning to struggle – he’s striking out in roughly a third of plate appearances at AA, and his swing decisions are becoming more suspect. Too aggressive, and he’s fighting the umps too frequently.
They may call him up anyway, but he’s not a finished product by any means, and needs a little maturity on a few levels.
@turksteeth yeah he still has better stats than schanuel, but I agree about the pitchers figuring him out. Working with both Washington’s til the end of the season shouldn’t hurt, and let him earn the spot in spring training.
@rex Just ignore the trolls (referring to post below). If you don’t feed them, they’ll go away.
I just want to congratulate the Angels and their inept organization for extending the GM on the very day they fell into last place!!! Way to go!!! Oakland is no longer Jokeland!!!
That’s because Oakland doesn’t have a MLB team anymore
Same could be said of the Pacific Coast League Angels.
@theylive thanks for your pointless comment.
@Rex Only pointless to a fan unconscious of where his team is and the direction you’re going in. It was shameful to extend Minasian because rewarding ineptitude creates more of the same.
LIVE – You think Minasian is the problem. He’s not. Pay attention.
Agreed, Baumann wasn’t a long term offer.
Zeferjahn might be. Might not. Might as well get a look at him.
Makes sense they cut Baumann. They allowed him ten appearances and he put 20 men on in nine and a third innings. Quick taste, and the taste was bitter.
Trivia question: How many teams have NOT DFAd Mike Baumann this year?
And how many of them will do so in the next 5 weeks?
Would Baumann break a record if he were to make it to the Majors with a fifth team this season? I can think of a bunch of guys who have played for four teams in a season but never five.
Niko Kavadas is a monster.
Love this game. Baumann. 10-1 last year. Undefeated this year. Can’t hold down a job .. and I get it. Ohhh, the war stories he’ll have for the grandkids.
Kid needs a haircut. Thinks he’s Josh Hader