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Bailey Horn

Tigers Place John Brebbia On 15-Day Injured List

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The Tigers announced that right-hander John Brebbia has been placed on the 15-day injured list due to a right triceps strain.  Left-hander Bailey Horn was called up from Triple-A to take Brebbia’s spot on the active roster.

Brebbia signed a one-year free agent deal with Detroit in February that will pay him $2.75MM in guaranteed money, plus the Tigers hold a $4MM club option on his services for 2026.  The first few weeks of Brebbia’s tenure in Motown were smooth sailing in terms of pure results, even if Brebbia’s 1.00 ERA over nine innings and eight appearances was undermined by some glaring peripheral statistics.  Brebbia’s BABIP is a measly .143 and he has a 13.2% walk rate, so clearly some good luck was on his side in the early going.

Then again, it could be argued that Brebbia was due a change in fortune following a 2024 season that saw his 3.29 SIERA overshadowed by a 5.86 ERA in 55 1/3 combined innings with the White Sox and Braves.  Brebbia struggled to a 6.29 ERA in 48 2/3 innings with Chicago before catching on with Atlanta late in the season, and posting a 2.70 ERA in 6 2/3 frames after the change of scenery.

Brebbia just pitched in yesterday’s game (a 7-3 Tigers win over the Royals), so his injury must’ve arisen in fairly quick fashion.  In a microcosm of his season to date, Brebbia allowed two walks and a hit over 31 pitches yesterday but escaped his inning without allowing any runs.  The scoreless inning might represent Brebbia’s last bit of action for a while, as even a minor strain likely means more than just a 15-day minimum on the injured list, and a more severe strain could cost Brebbia multiple months.  The right-hander is unfortunately no stranger to long injury absences, as a Tommy John surgery cost him all of the 2020 season and most of the 2021 season, plus he had a stint on the Giants’ 60-day IL in 2023 due to a lat strain.

Beau Brieske was just placed on the Tigers’ 15-day IL yesterday due to ankle inflammation, so Detroit is suddenly down two members of its bullpen in as many days.  This season’s version of “pitching chaos” has seen the Tigers unexpectedly send presumptive closer Jason Foley (who is now injured) to Triple-A to begin the season, and elevate newly-signed veteran Tommy Kahnle into the closer’s role.  The results have still been there since Detroit’s 3.36 bullpen ERA is the tenth-best in the majors, though the relief corps ranks closer to the bottom of league in terms of strikeouts.

The injuries have led to Horn getting his first taste of the Show this season, and he is now lined up to make his official debut in a Tigers uniform.  Horn made his overall MLB debut when he posted a 6.50 ERA across 18 innings with the Red Sox last season, and he bounced from the Sox to the Tigers to the Cardinals on waiver claims this offseason, only for Detroit to acquire him back in a trade with St. Louis last month.

Tigers Acquire Bailey Horn

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The Tigers have acquired left-hander Bailey Horn from the Cardinals in exchange for cash considerations, according to announcements from both clubs. The southpaw was designated for assignment earlier today when the Cards signed Phil Maton. Detroit had an open 40-man spot after putting José Urquidy on the 60-day injured list recently. They have already optioned Horn to Triple-A Toledo.

The Tigers clearly have a fondness for Horn. The Red Sox put him on waivers in November, with the Tigers putting in a claim at that time. He stuck on the Detroit roster for over a month but he was bumped off when they signed Gleyber Torres in December, which led to the Cardinals claiming Horn off waivers. As mentioned, he was DFA’d by St. Louis just a few hours ago but the Tigers quickly pounced and put down some cash to acquire him again.

Horn, 27, has a very limited major league profile. He debuted with Boston last year, allowing 13 earned runs in 18 innings. His 14.8% strikeout rate and 11.4% walk rate in that time were both subpar numbers.

Detroit is surely putting more weight in Horn’s minor league numbers, where he has shown huge strikeout potential but also a lack of control. From 2021 to 2024, he logged 213 1/3 innings for various minor league clubs with a combined 4.26 ERA. His 12.7% walk rate on the farm is certainly high but he also punched out 29% of batters faced.

As mentioned, Horn has already been optioned, so the Tigers seem to view him as a depth arm for the time being. He can head to Triple-A and try to rein in his control, while being shuttled to the majors when necessary. Tyler Holton will give Detroit one lefty at the big league level, while Andrew Chafin could give them another if his contract is selected. Brant Hurter might be in the mix but likely more as a long man. Horn and Sean Guenther give the club a couple of optionable southpaws to be called upon as needed.

Cardinals Sign Phil Maton

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The Cardinals announced this morning that they’ve signed right-hander Phil Maton to a one-year deal. The Paragon Sports International client will reportedly make $2MM. Left-hander Bailey Horn was designated for assignment to make room for Maton on the club’s 40-man roster.

Maton, 32 later this month, was among the better relief arms still available on the free agent market at this late point in the calendar. Drafted in the 20th round by the Padres back in 2015, Maton will suit up with the Cardinals for his ninth MLB season and hope to continue a stretch of quality work that began with the Astros back in 2022. The first five seasons of Maton’s career saw him struggle despite solid peripherals, with a subpar 4.76 ERA in 215 1/3 innings of work across 209 appearances. He struck out 26.4% of opponents during that time while walking 9.2%. Those numbers were decent enough to keep Maton rostered with San Diego and Cleveland over the years, but he eventually wound up in Houston late in the 2021 season.

The righty’s middling results continued with the Astros through the end of 2021, but by the start of the 2022 season a switch seemed to have flipped. His 25.2% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate over the past three seasons aren’t markedly different than what they were earlier in his career, but the veteran’s results have improved drastically as he’s posted a 3.50 ERA with a 4.11 FIP in 195 2/3 innings of work across 206 games.

After hitting free agency for the first time in his career prior to the 2024 season, Maton signed on with the Rays but struggled with a 4.58 ERA in 40 appearances for them last year. Fortunately for the right-hander, he was traded to the Mets for the stretch run and turned a corner, dominating to the tune of a 2.51 ERA across his final 31 appearances of the regular season.

Now, Maton is headed to St. Louis as the first and perhaps only major-league free agent signing the club will make this offseason. The Cardinals’ plans for the winter were largely hamstrung by an inability to find a trade partner for veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado, resulting in an extremely quiet offseason that was defined most by the departures of key veterans like Paul Goldschmidt in free agency.

Despite the Cardinals’ lack of activity this offseason, they’ve long been known to want a veteran relief arm who could fill the role Andrew Kittredge played last year and create a bridge between closer Ryan Helsley and the rest of a relatively young late-inning mix. They now appear to have found that player in Maton, who has just five career saves but has recorded 42 holds over the past three seasons.

Making room for Maton on the 40-man roster is Horn, a fifth-round pick by the White Sox in the 2020 draft. The 27-year-old lefty was traded to the Cubs in exchange for Ryan Tepera at the 2021 trade deadline and was eventually added to his new club’s 40-man roster, but did not make his big league debut in Chicago. He was traded back to the White Sox last February in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for the return of Cody Bellinger, but was then designated for assignment and traded to Boston in April. He made his big league debut for the Red Sox last June but struggled badly with a 6.50 ERA and 7.00 FIP in 18 innings of work.

During the offseason, Horn was designated for assignment by the Red Sox but picked up off waivers by the Tigers in November. He lasted on Detroit’s 40-man roster for just a month and was claimed off waivers by St. Louis in early January. He’ll now likely return to the waiver wire for the fourth time in the last 11 months. The Cardinals will have one week to either trade Horn or put him through waivers, where he can be claimed by any club willing to offer him a spot on their 40-man roster.

If Horn clears waivers, the Cardinals will get the opportunity to outright him to the minors as a non-roster depth option. That said, Horn is an optionable left-handed reliever who averages 95 mph with his heater and has a track record of missing bats in the upper minors. He could make him an attractive candidate for a waiver claim despite his lackluster results in the majors last year.

Katie Woo of The Athletic was first on the terms.

Cardinals Claim Bailey Horn

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The Cardinals announced that they have claimed left-handed reliever Bailey Horn off waivers from the Tigers. Detroit designated him for assignment last week. The Cardinals already have multiple open 40-man spots, so a corresponding move isn’t necessary.

The 26-year-old Horn has now ridden the waiver carousel from Boston, to Detroit to St. Lous in just over a month’s time. He made his big league debut with the Red Sox in 2024, pitching 18 innings and surrendering 13 runs on the strength of 22 hits and 10 walks with 13 strikeouts. The resulting 6.50 ERA isn’t much to look at, but Horn is a 2020 fifth-rounder (White Sox) who’s had some success in the upper minors and been involved in one trade of some note — when the Sox sent him crosstown to the Cubs in a 2021 deal for Ryan Tepera.

Last year with the Red Sox, who acquired him in April following another DFA, he tossed 29 1/3 innings in Triple-A and logged a minuscule 2.15 ERA with an impressive 29.2% strikeout rate. Horn’s 11.7% walk rate was too high, but those rate stats are generally representative of how he’s performed throughout his minor league career. He’s punched out 29% of his opponents in four minor league seasons but also issued a walk to nearly 13% of the batters he’s faced.

Horn still has a pair of minor league option years remaining, making him a flexible bullpen piece for the Cardinals in the short- or perhaps long-term. He sits just shy of 95 mph on his heater and misses bats at a high enough level to provide some intrigue for a Cards organization that’s light on bullpen certainty (particularly if closer Ryan Helsley is traded before Opening Day or prior to the summer trade deadline).

One thing St. Louis does have a fair bit of, however, is left-handed relief depth. Horn will join a mix including JoJo Romero, John King, Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson. They’re not all proven in the majors, but it’s a solid collection of southpaws all the same. Romero is only controlled through 2026, so if things go south for the Cards in the season’s first half, he could end up a summer trade chip himself, potentially opening the door even further for an opportunity for the newly acquired Horn.

Tigers Designate Bailey Horn For Assignment

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The Tigers announced Friday that they’ve designated left-hander Bailey Horn for assignment. He’ll be the corresponding 40-man roster move for newly signed infielder Gleyber Torres, whose one-year, $15MM deal with the Tigers is now official.

Horn, 26, was claimed off waivers out of the Red Sox organization a month ago. He’ll now be traded to another club or claimed off waivers within the next week. He made his big league debut in Boston last season, pitching 18 innings and yielding 13 earned runs (6.50 ERA) on 22 hits and 10 walks with 13 strikeouts.

It wasn’t the best first impression in the majors, but Horn was sharper for Boston’s Triple-A club, rattling off 29 1/3 innings of 2.15 ERA ball with a 29.2% strikeout rate against a bloated 11.7% walk rate. Horn has missed bats in droves in the minors, fanning 29% of his career opponents, but he’s also walked nearly 13% of his opponents along the way. He’s a former fifth-round pick of the White Sox who’s been traded multiple times, most notably going from the Sox to the Cubs in exchange for Ryan Tepera back in 2021.

Horn’s ability to miss bats, coupled with a heater that averages 95 mph and a pair of minor league option years still remaining, could prompt another team to take a look.

Tigers Claim Bailey Horn From Red Sox

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The Tigers claimed lefty reliever Bailey Horn from the Red Sox, according to an announcement from Boston. The Sox had not previously announced a DFA for Horn, so their 40-man roster count drops to 39.

An Auburn product, Horn has bounced around the league as a pro. He was drafted by the White Sox, traded to the Cubs, dealt back to the White Sox and then flipped to Boston. The 26-year-old southpaw pitched in his first 18 big league games this year. Horn allowed 14 runs (13 earned) over 18 innings. He recorded 13 strikeouts, walked 10 and surrendered five home runs.

Throwing strikes has been an issue for Horn throughout his career. He has walked nearly 13% of batters faced over four seasons in the minors. That’s bordering on untenable, even for a middle reliever. A few teams have been intrigued by his raw stuff, though. Horn averaged 95 MPH on his fastball during his big league look. He still has a couple option seasons remaining, so there’s time for the Tigers to try to smooth out his control if they’re willing to keep him on the 40-man roster.

Red Sox Select Zach Penrod, Designate Tyler Heineman

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The Red Sox announced five transactions this morning, including the news that left-hander Zach Penrod’s contract has been selected to the big league roster.  Catcher Tyler Heineman was designated for assignment to open up a spot on the 40-man roster, and left-hander Cam Booser and right-hander Zack Kelly were both optioned to Triple-A Worcester to create space on the active roster.  Boston also called up southpaw Bailey Horn from Triple-A.  Julian McWilliams of the Boston Globe (X link) was the first to report on the Penrod, Booser, and Horn transactions, while MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo (via X) reported yesterday that Kelly was being optioned.

Kelly and Booser were two of six pitchers used by the Red Sox in Friday’s 5-4 loss to the Yankees, so today’s moves brings some fresh arms into Boston’s relief corps.  For Penrod, he is now on the verge of his Major League debut, making quite a culmination of a six-year pro career that began as an undrafted free agent.

Penrod pitched briefly with the Rangers’ rookie league club in 2018 but he then spent two years on the sidelines due to both a Tommy John surgery and the canceled 2020 minor league season.  The southpaw returned to pitch in the independent Pioneer League from 2021-23, and this performance caught the eye of Red Sox scouts and led to a minor league deal partway through the 2023 season.  This year, Penrod has a 4.16 ERA over 62 2/3 combined innings at Double-A and Triple-A ball, as well as a huge 34.8% strikeout rate.

There is a pretty wide variance in those minor league numbers, as Penrod posted a 2.80 ERA in 35 1/3 Double-A innings and a much heftier 5.93 ERA in 27 1/3 frames in Worcester.  Control has been a bit of a question mark for Penrod throughout his career, and his walk rate also spiked up to 16.1% in Triple-A after a more palatable 9.1% number in Double-A action.

Still, the strikeouts are playing at both levels, and Penrod’s upper-90s fastball makes him an interesting bullpen weapon for the Red Sox to explore.  Penrod has mostly started throughout his pro career but worked out of the pen for 10 of his 15 appearances in Worcester, so Boston figures to use him in a long relief role here at the tail end of the 2024 season.  As Alex Speier of the Boston Globe explored back in May, Penrod’s development of a slider as a third pitch after his fastball and changeup could help him carve out a path as a starter, but the 27-year-old is surely pleased to work in the majors in any capacity.

The Red Sox acquired Heineman in a trade with the Mets back in February, and he has spent almost the entire season in the minors save for two games at the MLB level.  Connor Wong and Reese McGuire handled most of the catching duties for the Sox this season, and after Danny Jansen was acquired at the trade deadline, McGuire was outrighed to Triple-A and Heinemen was pushed even further down the depth chart.

With his two appearances in a Red Sox uniform, Heineman has now now suited up for five different teams at the big league level over his five seasons in the Show, and he has also been organizational depth for six other franchises.  Heineman has hit .216/.297/.280 over 286 career plate appearances, with 174 of those PA coming as a member of the Pirates and Blue Jays in 2022.  Because Heineman has been outrighted before, he has the ability to elect free agency and reject an outright assignment from Boston if he clears DFA waivers.

Red Sox Select Chase Shugart, Mickey Gasper; Designate Jamie Westbrook For Assignment

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The Red Sox announced a series of roster moves today. Righty Brayan Bello has been reinstated from the paternity list and left-hander Bailey Horn has been recalled, while the club selected the contracts of right-hander Chase Shugart and catcher/infielder Mickey Gasper. It was reported last night that left-hander James Paxton suffered a right calf strain and he now lands on the 15-day injured list. Lefty Brennan Bernardino has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester, as has righty Brad Keller. A fourth active roster spot was opened with the Jarren Duran suspension, reported earlier today. To open a 40-man roster spot, infielder/outfielder Jamie Westbrook has been designated for assignment. Chris Cotillo of MassLive reported Shugart’s promotion on X prior to the official announcement.

Shugart, 27, gets the call to the big leagues for the first time. A 12th-round pick of the Sox in 2018, he has been working his way up the minor league ladder since then. He worked exclusively as a starter through 2021 but has primarily been working out of the bullpen since then.

His initial forays into Triple-A ball didn’t go well, as he posted a 6.82 earned run average at that level in 2022 and then an 8.22 ERA there last year. He’s had more success here in 2024, with a 4.98 ERA in 59 2/3 innings. That’s largely come in a multi-inning capacity, as he’s logged those frames over 28 appearances, including five starts. His 10.9% walk rate is a bit on the high side but he has punched out 26.6% of opponents this year and gotten grounders on 46.8% of balls in play.

Baseball America had Shugart on the back end of their organizational top 30 list back in 2019 and 2020 but not in recent years. The Sox are likely going to be leaning on him for a long man role in the coming days. Paxton suffered his injury after recording just two outs, forcing the bullpen to do yeoman’s work. Bernardino tossed an inning a third while each of Lucas Sims, Luis García and Cam Booser tossed two innings. First baseman Dominic Smith pitched a scoreless ninth with the Sox down 10-2 to the Astros. The Sox also did a bullpen game the day before, with Josh Winckowski covering three innings, Brad Keller eating up four, while Zack Kelly and Chris Martin picked up one each.

All told, the pitching staff is fairly taxed and the Sox don’t have another off-day until August 22, over a week from now. Righty Cooper Criswell went on the COVID IL recently and has an unknown timeline. With Paxton now out as well, the rotation is down to Bello, Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta. Perhaps Winckowski will get another shot after throwing three innings on the weekend, or perhaps Criswell can make a quick return. The club also has Quinn Priester on optional assignment and could recall him at some point. But in the meantime, Shugart can sop up some innings, if needed.

Gasper, 28, was also selected in the 2018 draft, but by the Yankees. He came to the Red Sox via the minor league phase of the 2023 Rule 5 draft. He has generally put up positive numbers in a hit-over-power fashion, though he’s always been old for whatever level he’s been playing at. He didn’t reach Triple-A until last year, his age-27 season, and hit .191/.295/.265 in his first 22 games at that level.

This year has gone much better. He’s played 44 Double-A games and 40 at Triple-A. Between those two clubs, he has a 15.9% walk rate, 11% strikeout rate and .341/.458/.559 batting line that translates to a wRC+ of 175.

Despite the massive batting line, Gasper’s not really considered a top prospect, though it would make for a great story if he could engineer a late-bloomer breakout. He has played catcher, first base and second base this year, in addition to a bit of third base time in previous seasons. He figures to slot into the club’s bench mix, giving them depth at various spots.

Westbrook, 29, signed a minor league deal with Boston in the offseason. They selected his contract in June, his first time cracking a major league roster. He has received 48 big league plate appearances so far, hitting just .150/.234/.350 in that small sample. He has always hit well in the minors and that’s still true this year. He has a line of .291/.381/.475 in 71 Triple-A games, drawing walks at a strong 12% clip and limiting his strikeouts to a 17.2% clip.

Defensively, he has played the three non-shortstop infield positions as well as right field this year. Since the trade deadline has passed, the Sox will have no choice but to put him on waivers in the coming days. If any team puts in a claim, Westbrook still has a full slate of options and just a few days of service time.

Red Sox Recall Bailey Horn For MLB Debut

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The Red Sox announced Friday that they’ve recalled left-hander Bailey Horn from Triple-A Worcester for his big league debut. They had an open spot on the active roster after optioning Isaiah Campbell yesterday, and Horn is already on the team’s 40-man roster. Andrew Parker of Beyond the Monster first reported yesterday that Horn would be called up for his MLB debut.

Boston picked up Horn in an April deal with the ChiSox, sending cash back the other way after he’d been designated for assignment. Originally a fifth-round pick by the South Siders in the shortened 2020 draft, Horn bounced between the two Chicago clubs in a pair of trades, first going to the Cubs in exchange for Ryan Tepera in 2021 and then going back to the White Sox this past February in exchange for minor league righty Matt Thompson. The White Sox designated Horn for assignment about two months after reacquiring him.

Horn was hit hard and battled alarming command issues in his brief return to his original organization. In 10 1/3 innings with their Triple-A affiliate in Charlotte, he was rocked for 13 runs on 14 hits and 10 walks with 15 punchouts. Since landing in Worcester, he’s turned things around, however. He’s still walking too many hitters (13.8%), but Horn has fanned 29.2% of his opponents through 16 innings en route to a tidy 1.69 earned run average.

Overall, the Auburn product has a 4.37 ERA in exactly 200 minor league innings. He’s missed bats at every level, punching out 30% of his career opponents, but Horn’s command troubles date back to High-A. He’s issued a walk to 13% of his opponents in pro ball. Horn operates with a low- to mid-90s heater that he pairs with a curveball and a slider. He made 14 starts with the White Sox’ Class-A affiliates back in ’21 but has pitched exclusively in relief since (with the exception of a lone two-inning “start” this year in a bullpen game for Worcester).

Red Sox Acquire Bailey Horn From White Sox

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The Red Sox have acquired left-hander Bailey Horn from the White Sox, per announcements from both clubs. The White Sox, who designated him for assignment in recent days, will receive cash considerations. The southpaw has been optioned to Triple-A Worcester.

Horn was a fifth-round pick by the ChiSox in the shortened 2020 draft. The Sox dealt the Auburn product to the Cubs the following season in exchange for veteran reliever Ryan Tepera. Horn pitched his way to Triple-A in the Cubs system and was added to the 40-man roster last offseason. While the Cubs were wary about losing Horn in the Rule 5 draft, they pushed him off the 40-man before Opening Day.

The Sox reacquired their one-time draftee in a deal that sent minor league pitcher Matt Thompson to the Cubs. Horn spent a couple weeks on optional assignment to Triple-A Charlotte. He got out to a rough start, allowing 13 runs over 10 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old surrendered four homers and issued 10 free passes, although he did record 15 strikeouts. The White Sox never called him up before last week’s DFA.

Boston has a few openings on the 40-man roster after recent DFAs of Pablo Reyes and Joely Rodríguez. They’ve recently subtracted Rodríguez and Joe Jacques (who was claimed off waivers by the Diamondbacks) from their left-handed relief depth. They’ll partially backfill the depth with Horn, who has a full slate of options and has missed plenty of bats in the minor leagues. Boston chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is certainly familiar with Horn, as Breslow had spent the past few seasons as an assistant general manager with the Cubs.

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