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Brandon Workman

Rangers Release Jake Marisnick, Brandon Workman

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The Rangers announced Tuesday that outfielder Jake Marisnick and righty Brandon Workman have been released from their minor league contracts. It’s not clear whether either exercised an out clause in their contract, but it’s common this time of year for veterans of this nature to trigger such provisions in their non-roster contracts if they’ve been informed they won’t make the team. Regardless, both veterans will now be free to seek a new opportunity with another club.

Marisnick, 31, split the 2021 season between the Cubs and Padres, batting a combined .216/.286/.375 through 198 trips to the plate. The longtime Astros outfielder has never been known for his offensive prowess, however, and instead provides the bulk of his value with the glove and on the basepaths. Capable of playing all three outfield positions, Marisnick boasts a whopping 75 Defensive Runs Saved and an impressive 41 Outs Above Average in 4929 career innings in the outfield. He’s also swiped 77 bases in 105 tries (73.3%).

Workman, 33, has been with three different clubs over the past two seasons and struggled to recapture the peak form he displayed in Boston from 2017-19. During that three-year run with the Sox, Workman tallied 152 2/3 innings of 2.59 ERA ball with an impressive 28.9% strikeout rate that helped to offset a bloated 11.7% walk rate. Opponents struggled to do damage on contact against Workman during that time — evidenced by a 0.82 HR/9 mark.

Over the past two seasons, however, Workman has been clobbered for a 5.66 ERA in 47 2/3 frames, due in no small part to the fact that his HR/9 mark has nearly doubled to 1.51. Workman’s strikeout rate has also fallen to 20.3%, while his already problematic walk rate has further inflated to 14.3%. He appeared in a pair of official spring games with the Rangers and yielded two runs in two innings of work. Workman didn’t yield a homer or a walk and punched out three of the nine men he faced.

Rangers, Brandon Workman Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Rangers are signing reliever Brandon Workman to a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided (Twitter link). Presumably, the 33-year-old will get a look in big league camp.

Workman, a UT-Austin product, has seven years of big league experience to his name. He worked in a swing capacity with the Red Sox from 2013-14, but he lost most of the following two seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery. Upon returning from that procedure in 2017, Workman moved full-time into relief and found a fair amount of success.

The right-hander worked at least 39 innings with an ERA below 3.30 in every season from 2017-19. He was an utterly dominant late-game option in 2019, when he pitched to a 1.88 ERA in 71 2/3 frames and saved 16 games. Few pitchers could match the combination of strikeouts (36.4%) and grounders (51.1%) Workman put up that season, although he did walk a fine line with his control (15.7% walk percentage).

Workman had been a capable strike-thrower for his career until 2019. But he’s continued to dole out plenty of free passes in recent seasons even as his strikeout and ground-ball numbers have fallen back to ordinary levels. Over the past two seasons, he’s suited up with three clubs (the Red Sox, Phillies and Cubs) and combined for 47 2/3 innings of 5.66 ERA ball. He’s been hit at a .330/.426/.522 clip, with a dramatically reduced 20.3% strikeout rate and an elevated 14.3% walk percentage.

Those past two years of struggles dictate that Workman will have to pitch his way back into the big leagues as a non-roster player. Still, it’s sensible for the Rangers to take a look at a reliever who’s not too far removed from finding major league success. Texas’ bullpen mix is almost entirely wide open, with Joe Barlow and Spencer Patton perhaps the only right-handed locks for season-opening spots.

Brandon Workman Elects Free Agency

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Brandon Workman has been outrighted off the Red Sox roster and elected free agency, according to Pete Abraham of The Boston Globe. Workman has recently been designated for assignment to create roster space after Boston traded for Kyle Schwarber.

After being a mainstay of the Red Sox bullpen for years, Workman was traded to Philadelphia before the 2020 trade deadline. After that season, Workman became a free agent, eventually signing with the Cubs. But the 32-year-old lasted less than a month into the season, being designated for assignment by the Cubs in late April. About a month later, Workman returned to the Red Sox organization on a minor league deal, eventually having his contract selected in early June.

The righty has worked 20 innings out of Boston’s bullpen since then, posting a 4.95 ERA and identical strikeout and walk rates of 15.1%, both of which are uninspiring. But Workman will now head back to the open market and see if he can latch onto another club.

Red Sox Acquire Kyle Schwarber From Nationals

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The Red Sox have made a significant addition to the lineup, announcing the acquisition of corner outfielder Kyle Schwarber from the Nationals. Pitching prospect Aldo Ramirez is headed back to Washington in return. To create 40-man roster space, Boston designated reliever Brandon Workman for assignment.

It’s the continuation of a rapid sell-off for the Nationals, who were straddling the line between buying and selling as recently as last week. A recent run of poor play has made their direction clear, with Washington moving a series of veterans in rapid succession. No move was bigger than the reported Max Scherzer – Trea Turner blockbuster with the Dodgers, of course. But Washington has also traded reliever Brad Hand and Schwarber today, and it seems there’s more on the horizon. Jesse Dougherty of the Washington Post reported this evening the Nats are also fielding offers on reliever Daniel Hudson, utilityman Josh Harrison and potentially on catcher Yan Gomes.

Schwarber is currently on the 10-day injured list on account of a right hamstring strain. It seems he’s still a couple weeks away from returning, but he was on an absolute tear before he went down. The 28-year-old won the National League Player of the Month award in June after blasting a league-best sixteen home runs. Thanks largely to that incredible run, Schwarber’s amidst the best season of his career. The left-handed hitting slugger has a .253/.340/.570 line (138 wRC+) with 25 homers across 303 plate appearances.

That level of play certainly warranted Washington’s $10MM investment in Schwarber last offseason. He’s playing the 2021 campaign on a $7MM salary, with around $2.4MM still to be paid through the end of the season. Schwarber is also guaranteed a $3MM buyout on an $11MM mutual option covering the 2022 campaign. Mutual options are rarely exercised by both parties, so the Sox are likely to view Schwarber as a rental acquisition. The midseason trade rules out any chance that Schwarber’s tagged with a qualifying offer this winter.

Schwarber has primarily been a corner outfielder over the course of his career, but it’s possible the Red Sox front office views him as a potential solution for their subpar first base situation. While he’s never played the position in the major leagues, it would be a surprise if he didn’t see some time there in Boston.

The Sox have gotten good work from Alex Verdugo and Hunter Renfroe in the corner outfield this year. Either of those players are capable of kicking over to center field in a pinch, but with top prospect Jarren Duran now in the big leagues, it seems likely there’ll be some days where Schwarber lines up at first with that trio manning the grass. Obviously, J.D. Martinez has the designated hitter spot spoken for.

However Alex Cora decides to manage his roster, there’s no question Boston’s making an offensive upgrade. The Red Sox hold a modest 1.5 game lead in the American League East over the Rays, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom and the front office continue to explore other acquisitions in the coming hours.

Neither team made mention of cash considerations, so it seems as though the Red Sox will assume the remainder of the money owed to Schwarber. That’s a rather significant development, as taking on the prorated portion of Schwarber’s $10MM luxury tax hit puts the Sox near the $210MM CBT threshold. Jason Martinez of Roster Resource estimates Boston’s current luxury number at just below $214MM. Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, however, reports the Red Sox are “scraping” the tax threshold but haven’t yet exceeded it. Speier suggests the club is exploring deals that might eventually take them over that mark, particularly as part of an ongoing effort to bolster the pitching staff.

In exchange for Schwarber, the Nationals pick up a promising young arm in the lower levels of the system. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs immediately slotted Ramirez as the #8 prospect in the organization. Over the offseason, Longenhagen wrote that the righty had a velocity spike that pushed his high-spin fastball into the low 90’s. Ramirez has a good changeup and advanced control, and he’s performed well this season. The 21-year-old has tossed 31 innings of 2.03 ERA ball in Low-A, striking out a decent 24.6% of opponents with a minuscule 6.2% walk rate.

The Schwarber acquisition ends Workman’s second stint with the Red Sox. Signed to a minor league deal after being cut loose by the Cubs, the right-hander tossed 18 innings of 3.50 ERA ball with Boston. His peripherals didn’t support that level of run prevention, though, as Workman has issued fourteen walks while striking out thirteen. It’s possible he’s traded before tomorrow afternoon’s deadline, but it seems likelier he’ll wind up on the waiver wire. If he clears waivers, Workman would have the right to elect free agency.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported the Red Sox were acquiring Schwarber. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Ramirez’s inclusion.

Red Sox Select Brandon Workman

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The Red Sox are selecting the contract of right-hander Brandon Workman, manager Alex Cora announced to reporters this morning. Righty Colten Brewer is being optioned to Triple-A Worcester in a corresponding 26-man roster move. A 40-man roster move will be announced later today as well. Workman, who signed a minor league deal to return to the Sox after being cut loose by the Cubs, had triggered a June 1 opt-out clause in his Red Sox deal earlier this week. That gave the Sox 48 hours to either release him or add him to the big league roster, and they’ve chosen the latter.

Workman, 32, pitched just eight innings for the Cubs earlier this season, allowing nine runs (six earned) on a dozen hits and seven walks with 11 punchouts in that short time. He looked quite effective until being tagged for three runs in each of his two final appearances with Chicago. Workman was on a one-year deal worth $1MM, so the Cubs didn’t have a particularly long leash when he struggled early in the year. That he was even available on such an affordable deal was a reflection of similar struggles he endured following a trade from Boston to Philadelphia last summer.

Of course, Workman is no stranger to the Red Sox organization. Boston selected him out of the University of Texas with their second-round pick in 2010, and he spent his entire professional career in the organization up until last August’s trade. Things didn’t pan out for Workman as a starter early in his big league tenure, but a full-time move to the bullpen proved to be a career-changing decision. From 2017-20, Workman threw 157 1/3 innings out of the Boston bullpen and notched a 2.57 ERA with a hearty 29 percent strikeout rate against an 11.8 percent walk rate.

As evidenced by that elevated walk rate, control has long been an issue for Workman, but he’s managed to overcome his sub-par strike-throwing skills by missing bats at a high rate and keeping the ball on the ground at an above-average 46.8 percent clip. Outside of his rocky stints with the Phillies and the Cubs, he’s been a solid late-inning reliever. He’s unlikely to be thrown right back into the fire as the Red Sox’ closer — especially with Matt Barnes pitching so well — but it wouldn’t be all that surprising if Workman resurfaced as a viable setup option before too long. He has some work to do to right the ship, but his poor performance since last summer’s trade effectively amounts to a two-month slump.

Quick Hits: Workman, Gallen, Tatis Jr.

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Brandon Workman has opted out of his contract with the Boston Red Sox. They now have less than 48 hours to decide whether or not to add him to the active roster, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com. The 32-year-old returned to the Red Sox after being released by the Cubs at the end of April. He put up a 6.75 ERA in 10 appearances with Chicago, but followed that up with a 1.29 ERA over seven innings for the Triple-A Red Sox. He racked up strikeouts at both spots with a combined 30.0 percent strikeout rate. As has been the issue with Workman in the past, however, his control has been spotty (15.7 percent walk rate). If Boston decides not to add him to their active roster, Workman will again be a free agent. Elsewhere around the game…

  • Diamondbacks’ ace Zac Gallen threw at 90-feet today, and he’s scheduled to throw a bullpen tomorrow to truly begin the road back to the active roster, per the Athletic’s Zach Buchanan (via Twitter). After starting the season on the injured list, Gallen returned with five strong outings from April 13th to May 7th, but he landed back on the IL with a UCL sprain.
  • Fernando Tatis Jr. left today’s game against the Cubs in the sixth inning, though there was no apparent injury at the time. The Padres did not waste much time in acknowledging his removal (via Twitter); he exited as a precautionary measure due to oblique tightness. Given his level of stardom, his central role on a contender, and the myriad injuries he’s dealt with so far this season, any health issue for Tatis Jr. rates as a potential game-changer. He did not seem particularly perturbed at the time of his exit, however, and there’s no reason to do anything but take the Padres’ at their word and hope the injury is, at it seems, a minor one.

Red Sox Sign Brandon Workman To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox have signed reliever Brandon Workman to a minor league contract, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com was among those to report. The right-hander will head to Triple-A Worcester.

There is plenty of familiarity between the Red Sox and the 32-year-old Workman, whom the team chose in the second round of the 2010 draft. Workman made his major league debut in 2013, the beginning of a productive run out of Boston’s bullpen that lasted through 2020. But Workman’s production nosedived when the Red Sox traded him to the Phillies last summer, and he continued to struggle at the beginning of this year with the Cubs. Consequently, Chicago – which signed Workman to a $1MM guarantee in free agency – designated him for assignment a week ago.

For first-place Boston, there’s no harm in taking a minor league chance on Workman, who has enjoyed a solid career despite his recent problems. Workman owns a useful 3.96 ERA/3.87 SIERA with a 25 percent strikeout rate and a 10.9 percent walk rate across 309 major league innings, including 70-plus frames in two different seasons.

Cubs Designate Brandon Workman For Assignment

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The Cubs have designated right-handed reliever Brandon Workman for assignment, per a team announcement. Left-hander Justin Steele has been recalled from the alternate training site in his place.

Workman, 32, signed a one-year, $1MM contract with the Cubs late in the offseason. The contract came with an additional $2MM of available incentives for the former Red Sox closer, but his stint with the Cubs looks to be coming to a close after just eight innings.

Workman was hit hard in that brief time, surrendering six runs on a dozen hits (two homers) and seven walks with 11 strikeouts. It’s the second consecutive rough year for the hard-throwing righty, who was clobbered for a 5.95 ERA in 19 2/3 frames between the Red Sox and Phillies last summer.

Setting aside his disappointing work in 2020-21, Workman was a solid late-inning option for Boston from 2017-19. During that time he gave the BoSox 152 2/3 innings of 2.59 ERA ball while striking out just under 29 percent of the hitters he faced. Workman led the Red Sox with 16 saves in 2019 and finished second among Boston relievers with 71 2/3 innings — all while striking out more than 36 percent of his opponents.

Workman’s average fastball has dipped by more than a mile per hour since that brilliant 2019 campaign, dropping from 93.1 mph to 91.8 mph. He’s still registered a respectable swinging-strike rate since 2020 (10.7 percent), but Workman has yielded far too much hard contact and seen his already pedestrian walk rate spike to egregious levels in recent years.

The Cubs will have a week to trade Workman, try to pass him through waivers or simply release him. Based on his track record, he should land with another club if he does hit the market, but that may well have to come on a non-guaranteed pact. Offseason interest in the righty was tepid enough, after all, that he inked the aforementioned one-year, $1MM guarantee. It’s hard to imagine that a lackluster showing with the Cubs has done any favors for his stock. Still, Workman’s dominant 2019 season is a testament to his raw ability, and other clubs around the league surely have their own ideas about how to once again coax that type of performance from him.

As for the 25-year-old Steele, he made his big league debut earlier this year and rattled off 3 1/3 innings of shutout ball. Baseball America tabs him as the organization’s No. 22 prospect, characterizing him as a potential hard-throwing reliever with some command issues. Steele was a starter throughout his minor league career, but the Cubs are looking at him in the ’pen after he was rocked for a 5.59 ERA through 11 starts in a pitcher-friendly setting at Double-A in 2019.

Cubs Reinstate Brandon Workman, Dan Winkler; Reassign Pedro Strop

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April 17: Chicago announced they’re reinstating Workman and Winkler from the IL in advance of this afternoon’s game against the Braves. Steele has been optioned to the team’s alternate training site in South Bend, while Strop has been reassigned to the alternate site. Under the league’s 2021 health and safety protocols, Strop needs not be exposed to waivers to be removed from the 40-man roster as a COVID-19 replacement.

April 12: The Cubs have placed three members of their bullpen – right-handers Jason Adam, Brandon Workman and Dan Winkler – on the COVID-19 injured list, Robert Murray of FanSided was among those to report. The move came “out of abundance of caution” after bullpen coach Chris Young tested positive for COVID-19. To take the pitchers’ places, the Cubs recalled fellow hurlers Brad Wieck and Justin Steele, and they selected Pedro Strop’s contract, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.com.

It’s unclear how much time Adam, Workman and Winkler will miss, but all three are quarantining away from the club, Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweets. The Cubs have received a combined 11 1/3 innings from Adam, Workman and Winkler this season. Adam has been the most successful of the three, having given up one earned run and struck out seven hitters in 3 2/3 innings. Workman has surrendered three runs (two earned) over 3 2/3 frames, but he has totaled five strikeouts. Winkler has yielded one ER on two hits and struck out five across four innings, though he has succeeded despite walking a batter per nine.

The Cubs signed Strop to a minor league contract in the offseason, and the righty is now in line for his second MLB stint with the organization. Now 35 years old, Strop was highly effective for most of his prior Cubs tenure, which ran from 2013-19. He surpassed the 60-frame mark in three of those seasons and combined for 373 innings of 2.90 ERA ball. Strop temporarily left the Cubs to join the division-rival Reds in free agency entering the 2020 campaign, but he threw a mere 2 1/3 innings before Cincinnati designated him for assignment.

Cubs To Sign Brandon Workman

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8:38am: The two sides have a Major League deal in place, tweets MLB Network’s Jon Heyman.

8:34am: The Cubs are closing in on a one-year, Major League deal with right-hander Brandon Workman, reports Patrick Mooney of The Athletic (Twitter link). The deal in question would guarantee Workman $1MM with another $2MM available via incentives. The Workman deal comes one day after Cubs president of baseball operations signaled that he expected to soon add one more reliever on a Major League deal.

Brandon Workman | David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Outside of a catastrophically bad 13 2/3 innings with the Phillies last year, Workman has ranged anywhere from a solid to shutdown late-inning arm in recent years. From 2017 up until last year’s trade to Philadelphia, the 32-year-old Workman gave the Red Sox 159 1/3 innings of 2.65 ERA ball with a 28.8 percent strikeout rate, an 11.8 percent walk rate and a 46.4 percent grounder rate.

Workman’s 2019 season, in particular, was a source of intrigue. The righty stepped up as Boston’s primary closer and posted a 1.88 ERA with a ridiculous 36.4 percent strikeout rate, but he also turned in a bloated 15.7 percent walk rate that was far and away the highest of his career.

In 2019, Workman scaled back the use of his four-seamer and cutter that year and leaned into his curveball at a career-high 47.2 percent, perhaps contributing both to the spike in walks and the much larger spike in strikeouts. He was following the same gameplan in 2020, and doing so with better control of the strike zone in a limited sample, before greatly reducing his curveball usage in Philadelphia. Whether Workman lost the feel for his curveball with the Phillies or lost confidence in the pitch (perhaps both), the once-wipeout offering quickly became the source of his struggles. After hitting just .135/.250/.195 on plate appearances ending with Workman’s curveball in 2019, opponents uncorked a staggering .436/.511/.641 slash against that same hook in 2020.

The Cubs will obviously look to restore Workman’s curveball to peak levels. If they’re able to do so, Workman ought to be a considerable bargain at his modest price point. He should have the opportunity to pitch in high-leverage situations, reprising his role as a setup man for former Boston teammate and current Cubs closer Craig Kimbrel.

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