Astros Claim Bennett Sousa Off Waivers
The Astros have claimed left-hander Bennett Sousa off of Detroit’s waiver wire, according to the Tigers. The Astros announced that infielder Rylan Bannon was designated for assignment to create roster space on Houston’s 40-man. Right-hander Blair Calvo was also outrighted to the Tigers’ Triple-A affiliate after clearing waivers.
Sousa has been optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land, where he’ll provide some depth should the Astros need some left-handed help in their bullpen. Framber Valdez is the only left-hander on Houston’s MLB roster, and Sousa joins fellow Sugar Land Space Cowboys Parker Mushinski and Matt Gage as the only other left-handed options on the 40-man.
The 28-year-old Sousa is changing teams for the second time in a week, as Detroit only claimed him off waivers from the Brewers on August 29. Sousa’s brief Tigers tenure didn’t result in any Major League or minor league action with the organization, as the Tigers designated him for assignment just on September 1.
A tenth-round pick for the White Sox in the 2018 draft, Sousa made his MLB debut with Chicago in 2022 before joining the Reds on a waiver claim back in February. The Brewers then acquired Sousa in April, leading to two appearances for Sousa in a Milwaukee uniform. Altogether, Sousa has appeared in 27 MLB games and thrown 23 innings during his career, posting an even 9.00 ERA. Over 193 1/3 innings in the minors, Sousa has a 2.98 ERA to go along with some good strikeout rates and grounder rates, though control has increasingly become an issue as Sousa has worked his way up the minor league ladder.
Bannon made his Major League debut last season, and has already suited up for three different teams (Orioles, Braves, Astros) over his seven career games in the Show. Perhaps best known as one of the five players acquired by the O’s from the Dodgers in the Manny Machado trade, Bannon was involved in a flurry of waiver claims over the last five months of 2022, going from the Orioles to the Dodgers to the Braves to the Cubs and finally to the Astros in December.
His 21 career PA in the majors have only yielded two hits, but Bannon has posted some decent numbers in the minors, including a .228/.339/.420 slash line over 1191 PA at the Triple-A level. Between his bat and his ability to play second base, third base, and shortstop, it wouldn’t be a shock if Bannon is claimed again on waivers from a team looking for some infield depth.
Tigers Designate Bennett Sousa For Assignment
The Tigers announced they’ve designated reliever Bennett Sousa for assignment. That’s the 40-man move for Miguel Díaz, whose contract was selected last night.
Detroit just nabbed Sousa off waivers from Milwaukee on Tuesday. It’s possible his stay in the organization won’t result in an appearance, as the Tigers will now have to put him back on waivers. Having already gone from the White Sox to the Reds to the Brewers to Detroit via minor transactions this year, he could well be claimed again.
Sousa has pitched twice this season for Milwaukee and made 25 appearances for the ChiSox a season ago. The southpaw has allowed 24 runs in 23 big league innings, striking out 14 while walking 12. He owns a 2.98 ERA in parts of five minor league campaigns, though, striking out nearly 31% of opposing hitters in the process. Sousa still has a couple options remaining, meaning another team that claims him could keep him in Triple-A if they’re willing to carry him on the 40-man roster.
Tigers Claim Bennett Sousa From Brewers
The Tigers announced that they have claimed left-hander Bennett Sousa off waivers from the Brewers and optioned him to Triple-A Toledo. They already had a vacancy on their 40-man roster after recently outrighting infielder Isan Díaz. The Brewers had not previously announced that Sousa was removed from their roster, so their 40-man count drops to 39.
Sousa, 28, was a 10th round pick of the White Sox in 2018 and was with that organization until the start of this year, but the past six months have been fairly tumultuous for him. He was designated for assignment in February, went to the Reds on a waiver claim, then to the Brewers in a cash deal in April. He served as an up-and-down pitcher for Milwaukee before landing on the injured list in June due to left shoulder nerve irritation, only getting reinstated a few weeks back.
Amid all of that, he’s only made two major league appearances this year. He also made 25 for the White Sox last year but has a career earned run average of 9.00 in his 23 innings between those two campaigns. But in his larger sample of minor league work, he’s shown a capability to get both strikeouts and ground balls, though also with a fair share of walks. In 17 innings for Triple-A Nashville this year, he had a 4.76 ERA, 31.5% strikeout rate, 9.6% walk rate and 58.5% ground ball rate. In 27 1/3 innings for Triple-A Charlotte last year, he posted a 3.95 ERA, 30.2% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 51.5% grounder rate.
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris recently hinted that the club’s open roster spot would be used for an external addition rather than for calling up a prospect from within the system. It seems that Sousa is that move, though he’s been optioned to Toledo for now, providing the club with some left-handed relief depth. With rosters expanding from 26 to 28 when the calendar flips to September, the club will still have to decide who gets those active roster spots. Sousa can still be optioned for the rest of this year and one additional season.
Brewers Reinstate Bennett Sousa
The Brewers reinstated reliever Bennett Sousa from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Nashville, per the transaction log at MLB.com. Milwaukee transferred Justin Wilson from the 15-day to the 60-day IL to clear the necessary 40-man roster spot.
Sousa missed a couple months with a nerve issue in his throwing shoulder. Acquired from the division-rival Reds in April, the 28-year-old southpaw has made a pair of appearances for the Brew Crew this season. He’s logged 16 innings with Nashville, allowing 10 runs (nine earned). He’s fanned 22 hitters at the top minor league level. Milwaukee acquired Andrew Chafin at the trade deadline to pair with Hoby Milner as left-handed options for Craig Counsell. Now that he’s healthy, Sousa is in the mix behind them.
Wilson’s brutally-timed injury could well have increased Milwaukee’s urgency to trade for Chafin. The veteran lefty strained a lat while warming up for what would’ve been his first appearance after a Tommy John rehab. He’ll miss the remainder of the season and seems quite likely to be bought out next winter, meaning he might never make an appearance as a Brewer.
Brewers Reinstate Justin Wilson From 60-Day IL
The Brewers announced that left-hander Justin Wilson has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. To open a spot on the 40-man roster, lefty Bennett Sousa has been transferred onto the 60-day IL and sent on a rehab assignment.
Wilson, 35, has over a decade of experience as an effective reliever in the big leagues. He’s made 527 appearances dating back to his 2012 debut, with a career 3.41 ERA in those. He’s struck out 25.9% of batters faced, walked 10.7% and kept the ball on the ground at a 46.8% rate. Unfortunately, he required Tommy John surgery in June of last year. The Reds had a $1.22MM buyout over his services for 2023 but declined sent him to the open market.
The Brewers signed him this offseason to a one-year deal with a club option for 2024, knowing he would miss at least part of the 2023 campaign while rehabbing. Wilson got a $1MM guarantee in the form of an $850K salary this year and $150K buyout on the $2.5MM option.
Hoby Milner is the only left-handed reliever that has thrown more than three innings for the Brewers this year, so Wilson will give them a second option in that department. He’ll then have a couple of months to showcase his health and effectiveness before the club decides on that option.
Sousa, 28, was designated for assignment by the Reds in April and came to the Brewers in a cash deal. He’s since served as an up-and-down reliever for the Brewers, throwing 2 2/3 innings for the big league club and 13 1/3 at Triple-A. He landed on the injured list June 8 due to left shoulder nerve irritation. He’ll now be ineligible to return until 60 days from that date, which would be early August. A return as soon as he’s eligible seems to be possible since he’s now going out on a rehab assignment.
Brewers Acquire Bennett Sousa
The Brewers have acquired left-hander Bennett Sousa from the Reds in exchange for cash considerations and international bonus pool space. Both teams have announced the trade. Milwaukee placed Aaron Ashby (who could miss the rest of the season due to shoulder surgery) on the 60-day injured list in order to create 40-man roster space.
The trade adds to a busy week for Sousa, who was designated for assignment by Cincinnati on Wednesday and then celebrated his 28th birthday on Thursday. It also marks the second time in less than two months that Sousa will be changing teams, as the Reds just claimed him off DFA waivers from the White Sox back in February.
Sousa made his MLB debut last season, posting an 8.41 ERA over 20 1/3 relief innings for Chicago. With only a 12.5% strikeout rate and an inflated 10.4% walk rate to go along with the rough ERA, there wasn’t a lot to like about Sousa’s first stint in the majors, apart from perhaps a 49.3% grounder rate. Sousa’s ability to keep the ball on the ground has fluctuated over his five minor league seasons, but his overall grounder is over the 50 percent threshold.
He also showed a lot more aptitude for strikeouts in the minors, including a 32.24% strikeout rate over 50 1/3 Triple-A innings. Control has been a bit more of an issue for Sousa since returning from the canceled 2020 minor league season, yet there’s enough in his skillset that it isn’t surprising why a team with a 40-man roster spot to spare might have interest. The Brewers have had a lot of success with unheralded relief pitchers in recent years, so they might see some untapped potential in Sousa.
Reds Select Kevin Herget, Designate Bennett Sousa
The Reds announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Kevin Herget. To open a spot on the active roster, fellow righty Joel Kuhnel was optioned to Triple-A Louisville. In a corresponding 40-man move, left-hander Bennett Sousa was designated for assignment.
Herget, 32, spent many years as a Cardinals farmhand but finally made his major league debut last year with the Rays. He posted a 7.71 ERA, but in a small sample of seven innings over three appearances. He spent the rest of the year in Triple-A, making 21 appearances, 17 of those being starts. In his 97 2/3 innings at that level, he had a 2.95 ERA, striking out 24.4% of hitters with a miniscule 3.9% walk rate.
The Rays designated him for assignment at season’s end and he landed with the Reds on a minor league deal. He tossed 5 2/3 innings this spring over four appearances, allowing three earned runs while striking out five and walking none. The club’s bullpen has been used heavily in recent days, so he’ll slot in for Kuhnel and give the club a fresh arm.
The cost of getting Herget onto the roster is cutting Sousa the day before his 28th birthday. The southpaw had spent his entire career with the White Sox until the Reds claimed him off waivers in February. He made his major league debut last year, posting an unsightly 8.41 ERA in a small sample of 20 1/3 innings. He had a much nicer 3.95 ERA in 27 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 30.2% strikeout rate, 10.3% walk rate and 51.5% ground ball rate.
The Reds will now have one week to trade Sousa or pass him through waivers. Given that left-handed pitching depth tends to always be in demand, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Sousa garner interest from one of the 29 other clubs in the league. Despite his poor results in the majors last year, he could intrigue teams based on his minor league track record. He also has a couple of option years remaining, meaning he could be stashed in the minors by any club willing to give him a 40-man spot.
Reds Claim Bennett Sousa
The Reds announced Wednesday that they’ve claimed lefty Bennett Sousa off waivers from the White Sox. Chicago had designated him for assignment on Monday when finalizing their one-year deal with Elvis Andrus. Cincinnati placed right-hander Vladimir Gutierrez, who underwent Tommy John surgery last July, on the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
The 27-year-old Sousa made his MLB debut with the Sox last year but was knocked around for 19 runs on 25 hits and 10 walks in 25 1/3 frames — an 8.31 ERA. Ugly as that showing was, he’s regularly turned in sub-4.00 ERAs in the upper minors while displaying above-average strikeout and ground-ball rates. Command issues have plagued him at times, however, and while Sousa looked to have turned a corner with a tiny 5.3% walk rate in 2021, he walked 10.3% of his opponent in a similar sample size of Triple-A innings this past season.
Overall, Sousa has a 3.96 ERA, a 32.2% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate in 50 Triple-A frames, in addition to a 2.96 ERA, 35.6% strikeout rate and 13.9% walk rate in 27 1/3 innings at the Double-A level. Sousa has a pair of minor league option years remaining and averaged a solid 94.3 mph on his heater in the big leagues last year. Paired with his 11.7% swinging-strike rate (and history of missing bats in the minors) there could be improvement on the horizon for the unsightly 12.5% strikeout rate he posted in the Majors last year.
Sousa joins Reiver Sanmartin as a lefty option for manager David Bell‘s bullpen. That’s the only pair of southpaw options on the 40-man roster — outside of prospect Brandon Williamson, who’ll surely continue to be utilized as a starter — but Sousa will have competition in camp in the form of non-roster invitees like Daniel Norris and Alex Young.
White Sox Designate Bennett Sousa For Assignment
The White Sox announced Monday that they’ve designated lefty Bennett Sousa for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to Elvis Andrus, whose previously reported one-year, $3MM deal with the team is now official.
Sousa, 27, made his big league debut in 2022 but struggled to an 8.31 ERA, yielding 19 runs on 25 hits and 10 walks with 12 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. He’s posted sub-4.00 ERAs with big strikeout numbers and strong ground-ball rates in the upper minors over the past few seasons, but he’s also battled command issues more often than not. Sousa did post a tiny 5.3% walk rate in 22 2/3 innings of Triple-A work in 2021, but that number ballooned to 10.3% in a comparable sample this past season.
Sousa has a pair of minor league option years remaining, which could appeal to other clubs in need of some left-handed bullpen depth. He also averaged a solid 94.3 mph on his heater in the big leagues last year, and his 11.7% swinging-strike rate (and history of missing bats in the minors) suggests there could be improvement on the horizon for a dismal 12.5% strikeout rate.
The White Sox will have a week to trade Sousa, attempt to pass him through outright waivers, or release him.
White Sox Select Bennett Sousa, Jason Bilous
The White Sox announced this afternoon they’ve selected pitchers Bennett Sousa and Jason Bilous to their 40-man roster. The moves keep both players from being selected in the Rule 5 draft.
Sousa, 26, was a tenth-round pick in 2018 out of the University of Virginia. The reliever has never appeared on an organizational top 30 ranking at FanGraphs or Baseball America, but he’s posted strong minor league numbers. The southpaw split the 2021 campaign between Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte, working to a 3.61 ERA over 47 1/3 cumulative frames. Sousa fanned a strong 35.5% of opponents along the way against a 10% walk rate.
Bilous, 24, was a 13th-round pick in the same class coming out of Coastal Carolina. The right-hander has spent his entire minor league career as a starter, although his elevated walk rates might result in a bullpen future. BA ranked Bilous 21st among White Sox farmhands midseason, crediting him with a low-90s fastball and plus slider. He spent 2021 at High-A Winston-Salem and in Birmingham, combining for a 5.76 ERA over 79 2/3 innings with a 30.2% strikeout rate and a 9.1% walk percentage.