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Brooks Kriske

Brooks Kriske Signs With NPB’s Yokohama DeNA BayStars

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The Yokohama DeNA BayStars have signed right-hander Brooks Kriske. (Hat tip to Sung Min Kim.) When Kriske was released by the Orioles last week, it was reported that he may have been pursuing an opportunity with a foreign club.

It’s quite common for players on the fringes of a 40-man roster to head overseas, as such opportunities can often lead to earning more than they would bouncing between the minors and the big leagues or hitting the waiver wire. A successful showing in Japan can also lead to an MLB contract in the future, as evidenced by the recent signing of Nick Martinez, who spent the past four seasons pitching in Japan but has now agreed to a four-year deal with the Padres. The ongoing lockout could also play a factor, as a player in Kriske’s shoes might prefer the certainty of having a job pinned down for 2022, as opposed to waiting for a new CBA to be signed and then scrambling to find a job in the new year.

Kriske, 27, has spent most of his career with the Yankees thus far, being drafted by them in 2016. He cracked the big leagues in 2020 but only got to throw 3 2/3 innings. He logged another 7 2/3 innings for the Yanks in 2021 before being claimed on waivers by the Orioles in September. His big league ERA is a bloated 14.40 so far, but in a small sample size of just 15 total innings. His minor league numbers are much more appealing, however. In 2021, he threw 29 1/3 Triple-A innings with an ERA of 3.68. Though his walk rate was a bit high at 12.2%, his strikeout rate was an excellent 37.4%.

Orioles Release Brooks Kriske

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The Orioles have released right-handed pitcher Brooks Kriske, according to the MLB.com transactions tracker. Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports that he could be interested in an opportunity with a foreign professional club.

Kriske, who turns 28 in February, was selected by the Yankees in the sixth round of the 2016 draft. He climbed his way up the ranks of the minors and eventually made his MLB debut in 2020. However, he’s been given very limited opportunities at the big league level thus far, only logging 15 innings in the past two seasons combined. He has an unsightly 14.40 ERA in that small sample, but has been much better in the minors.

At Triple-A this year, between the Yankees’ and Orioles’ systems, he threw 29 1/3 innings with an ERA of 3.68, along with a hefty strikeout rate of 37.4%, but a lofty walk rate of 12.2%. The Orioles claimed him on waivers from the Yankees in September, but he wasn’t able to hold onto his roster spot through the winter. He is still young and has an option year remaining, which could give him some appeal to other clubs as a depth signing.

The release of Kriske means Baltimore now has 39 players on their 40-man roster, allowing them to potentially use that open spot in the Rule 5 draft. The rebuilding Orioles have been quite active in recent Rule 5 drafts, making three selections in 2017, one in 2018 and then two selections in both 2019 and 2020. The draft is scheduled to take place December 9, but could be delayed by the lockout and transaction freeze that are expected to follow the expiration of the CBA on December 1.

Orioles Designate Dusten Knight, Select Thomas Eshelman

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The Orioles announced a quartet of roster moves this morning, including the news that right-hander Dusten Knight has been designated for assignment.  The 40-man roster spot will be filled by righty Thomas Eshelman, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Norfolk.  In addition, the Orioles have called up recent waiver acquisition Brooks Kriske from Triple-A and optioned righty Spenser Watkins to the minors.

Knight is one of many players who made their big league debuts with the 2021 Orioles, as the 31-year-old righty posted a 9.35 ERA over his first 8 2/3 innings in the Show.  The Giants selected Knight in the 28th round of the 2013 draft, and after playing in the Giants and Twins farm systems into the 2019 season, Knight pitched in the Mexican League and in independent ball before catching on with Baltimore on a minor league contract this past winter.

Eshelman is back with the O’s after being outrighted off their 40-man roster earlier this season, which marked the third time Eshelman has been DFA’ed and then outrighted during his three seasons with Baltimore.  All of Eshleman’s 92 career Major League innings have come in an Orioles uniform, and the righty has struggled to a 5.87 ERA and an 11% strikeout rate over that stretch.  This season has been particularly rough, as Eshelman has an 8.02 ERA and more walks (10) than strikeouts (7) over his 21 1/3 innings pitched.

Orioles Claim Brooks Kriske From Yankees

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The Orioles announced they’ve claimed reliever Brooks Kriske off waivers from the Yankees and optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk. Righty Jorge López was transferred from the 10-day to the 60-day injured list to open space on the 40-man roster.

Kriske hasn’t yet found any big league success. He’s been up-and-down with New York over the past two seasons and combined for 11 1/3 innings of twenty-run ball. The righty has punched out a fine fifteen batters in that time, but he’s also issued thirteen walks and been tagged for six home runs.

As one would expect, Kriske has been much better in the minor leagues. He owns a 2.59 ERA in 48 2/3 frames in Double-A, and he’s been almost as good this season with the Yankees’ top affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Through 28 1/3 Triple-A innings, the 27-year-old has posted a 3.81 ERA with a massive 36.6% strikeout rate and 16.8% swinging strike percentage. Kriske has issued a few too many walks in the minors as well, but he’s shown more promise against high-level hitters than his major league resume might indicate.

Kriske still has one additional minor league option year remaining beyond this season. Assuming he sticks on the 40-man roster, he can be shuttled between Baltimore and Norfolk through the end of 2022. The Orioles have had arguably the league’s worst bullpen, so they’re in search of any arms who might be able to establish themselves as reliable members of the pitching staff next year. It’s no surprise the front office would take a flier on Kriske in hopes that he can translate some of his minor league success into the majors at some point.

López’s IL transfer is merely a procedural move. He was already expected to be out for the season after spraining his right ankle last week. The 28-year-old posted a 6.07 ERA across 121 2/3 innings this year.

Yankees Designate Brooks Kriske, Re-Sign Sal Romano

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The Yankees announced Tuesday that they’ve re-signed Sal Romano to a Major League contract and designated right-hander Brooks Kriske for assignment to open space on the roster. Romano elected free agency over an outright assignment just yesterday but will almost immediately return to the MLB roster.

Kriske has been an up-and-down reliever for New York over the past couple seasons. This year alone, the Yankees have optioned him on seven separate occasions, recalling him six times when the need for a rested bullpen arm presented itself. Amidst the back-and-forth, Kriske has made eight appearances after pitching in his first four big league games last year. He’s yet to find any success against major league hitters, combining for 11 1/3 innings of 20-run ball to this point. Kriske has struck out fifteen batters, but he’s also issued eleven walks and served up six home runs in his rather limited time.

That said, the 27-year-old has a generally strong body of work in the minors. The USC product posted dominant numbers up through Double-A and has performed fairly well in his first taste of Triple-A this year. Over 28 1/3 innings with Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Kriske has a 3.81 ERA with a massive 36.6% strikeout percentage, although throwing strikes has also been an issue at the minors’ top level. He’s doled out free passes to 12.5% of batters faced in the minors this season, and also issued walks at a similar clip in Double-A in 2019.

The Yankees will pace Kriske on waivers over the next few days, where another team could take a no-risk look to see if he can yet carry over that strong swing-and-miss stuff against big league hitters. His fastball has averaged north of 95 MPH in his MLB action, with a mid-80s split his featured secondary offering. Kriske still has one minor league option year remaining after this season, so any claiming team could continue to shuttle him between the majors and Triple-A as the Yankees recently have through the end of next season — so long as they keep him on the 40-man roster.

It has been an eventful past couple weeks for Romano. The 27-year-old signed a minor-league deal with the Yankees in mid-August (his second such arrangement of the season), then was selected to the big league roster but designated for assignment in relatively rapid succession. After clearing waivers, he very briefly hit free agency but will now step right back onto the Yankees’ active roster.

Between the Reds, Yankees and Brewers, Romano has worked 24 innings of relief at the big league level this season. He’s posted subpar numbers, but he has shown well at Triple-A and evidently continues to intrigue the New York front office. Romano is out of options, so the Yankees either have to keep him on the active roster moving forward or again risk losing him on waivers.

COVID Notes: 7/10/21

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The latest on coronavirus situations from around baseball…

  • Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm was removed from today’s game in the eighth inning for what manager Joe Girardi described only as reasons related to “COVID protocols.”  Officials aren’t required to provide detailed information about COVID-19 situations, and Girardi just told reporters (including NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman) that “we’ll know more as time goes on.  That’s all I can give you right now.”  It isn’t yet known if Bohm will be placed on the actual COVID-related injury list, and such a placement isn’t necessarily a sure thing — in the event of a close contact situation or perhaps an inconclusive test result, Bohm could be cleared in time for Sunday’s game with the Red Sox.  Following a very impressive 2020 rookie season, Bohm has hit a sophomore slump, hitting only .243/.298/.343 with six home runs in 329 PA this year.
  • The Yankees placed right-hander Jonathan Loaisiga on the COVID-related injury list prior to today’s game with the Astros.  Along with the placement of Miguel Andujar on the regular 10-day IL due to a left wrist strain, New York called up right-handers Albert Abreu and Brooks Kriske from Triple-A to fill the spots on the 26-man roster.  Yankees manager Aaron Boone also didn’t give specifics on Loaisiga’s status to MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch and other reporters, except to say that Loaisiga “feels good.”  The righty has been a force out of the Yankees’ bullpen this season, posting a 2.11 ERA, 63.9% grounder rate, an outstanding 5.5% walk rate and an above-average 25.1% strikeout rate over 47 innings.

Yankees Place Zack Britton, Wandy Peralta On Injured List, Recall Albert Abreu, Brooks Kriske

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Yankees’ manager Aaron Boone told reporters that Zack Britton is heading back to the injured list with a left hamstring strain, per Lindsey Adler of The Athletic (via Twitter). A back issue has landed Wandy Peralta on the injured list as well, while Albert Abreu and Brooks Kriske will be recalled from Triple-A. They are available out of the bullpen tonight, per Erik Boland of Newsday Sports and MLB.com’s Bryan Hoch (Twitter links).

Britton, a significant piece of New York’s run prevention plan, has just five appearances on the season. On the bright side, the Yankees don’t expect Britton to miss too much time, with Boone characterizing the injury as more “cramping” than “strain,” per ESPN’s Marly Rivera (via Twitter). A bone spur in his elbow forced Britton to miss the first 72 days of the season. Since returning, the Yankees’ deputy southpaw tossed 4 1/3 innings, giving up two earned runs on three hits (one homer), three walks, and a hit batsman while striking out three.

Peralta’s IL stint is retroactive to June 23rd. Since arriving from the Giants in exchange for Mike Tauchman, Peralta has a 5.28 ERA/5.69 FIP in 15 1/3 innings over 20 outings. He has recorded just nine strikeouts in that time for a substandard 13.9 percent strikeout rate.

Peralta leans heavily on his change-up with a 38.4 percent usage rate, but it’s his slider that’s not generating swings and misses. The whiff rate on Peralta’s breaking ball has seen a year-over-year decline from 42.9 percent to 37.0 percent. He’s throwing it less as a result, but it’s still his second most-used offering with a 25.5 percent usage rate. If Peralta’s slider has been affected by his recent back pain, there may be some cause for optimism that he can again become an effective big-league arm, as he’s been at multiple stages of his MLB career.

Abreu, 25, and Kriske, 27, have each spent time in the Majors this season, making four appearances apiece. Abreu served as more of a long man, soaking up 8 2/3 innings while allowing just two earned runs on two hits while walking four and striking out 10. Kriske has been less effective, surrendering five earned runs while facing just 20 batters in those four innings of work.

Yankees DFA Mike Ford, Reinstate Zack Britton, Option Brooks Kriske

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The Yankees announced a number of roster moves today, including the return of southpaw Zack Britton. Britton has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Mike Ford has been designated for assignment, and right-hander Brooks Kriske has been optioned to Triple-A.

Britton will make his first appearance of the season, potentially making an already-strong Yankee bullpen even stronger. Yankees’ relievers are fourth among relief units in the Majors with a 3.30 ERA this season. For his part, Britton is coming off back-to-back sub-2.00 ERA seasons.

Ford has been designated for assignment after struggling offensively the past two seasons. Ford mashed in Triple-A back in 2019, earning a promotion to the bigs where he continued his good work at the plate with a .250/.350/.559 line in 163 plate appearances. Since then, Ford has batted just .134/.250/.276 across 156 plate appearances.

Kriske was a sixth round draft pick out of USC back in 2016. He rose steadily through the Yankees’ organization, but has struggled in short stints in the Majors. This season, Kriske served up five earned runs in four innings of work, allowing six hits and two walks while striking out three.

In other news, Luis Severino took a step forward in his rehab, earning a promotion from Low-A to High-A, per the team. Severino has made just three starts going back through 2019.

Yankees Activate Aaron Judge, Place Luis Avilan On 10-Day IL, Recall Andujar/Kriske

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Slugger Aaron Judge will make his return to the Yankees tonight, as the club announced that Judge has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list.  Lefty Luis Avilan, however, has been placed on the 10-day IL (retroactive to August 22) due to inflammation in his throwing shoulder.  Miguel Andujar and righty Brooks Kriske have been called up from the Yankees’ alternate training site.

Judge returns after a minimum 10-day absence due to a mild calf strain — one so seemingly minor, in fact, that Judge said he’d been lobbying the team to not place him on the IL whatsoever.  Still, the Yankees showed some caution with the star right fielder, and he’ll now add his considerable pop to a lineup that is still missing Giancarlo Stanton, DJ LeMahieu, and Gleyber Torres.  Judge has been nothing less than spectacular over his 68 plate appearances this season, hitting .290/.343/.758 with nine home runs.

While Judge is returning, Avilan becomes the latest Yankee to hit the IL.  The southpaw has a 4.32 ERA, 9.7 K/9, and 1.80 K/BB rate over 8 1/3 relief innings this season, his first in the pinstripes after inking a minor league deal with New York last winter.  It stands to reason that Avilan’s shoulder issue might have been the reason for his struggles in his most recent outing, as he allowed three hits and two earned runs over just one-third of an inning against the Rays last Thursday.

This will be the third separate time that Andujar has been up with the Yankees this season, and he has only a .232 OPS over 22 plate appearances.  It will be interesting to see how Andujar will be deployed during this stint on the active roster, as while he has been learning first base and the outfield, he could conceivably return to his old position at third base.  That would allow the Yankees some flexibility in potentially moving Gio Urshela to the middle infield with Torres and LeMahieu out, as manager Aaron Boone has indicated that he would be open to using Urshela away from third base on a limited basis.

Kriske is back up with the Yankees for the second time this season.  The 26-year-old made his Major League debut this year, and has a 6.75 ERA over his first 1 1/3 innings in the Show.

Yankees Option Clint Frazier

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Last night, the Yankees announced they optioned outfielder Clint Frazier and right-handed reliever Ben Heller to their alternate training site. The club plans to bring right-handers Nick Nelson and Brooks Kriske up to the active roster in their stead. They’ll add a pair of fresh arms to a pitching staff that saw James Paxton work just one-plus inning in Saturday’s loss to the Nationals.

So continues Frazier’s repeated journeys on and off the big league roster. The onetime top prospect has been decent offensively, albeit with some high-profile defensive issues, when he’s gotten MLB opportunities (career .254/.308/.463 line in 429 plate appearances). Still, he’s had a hard time cracking a loaded Yankees outfield.

Due to his immense power potential, the 25-year-old has long been rumored as a potential trade candidate. Thus far, the organization has expressed little interest in giving him up. Given the club’s competitive outlook, though, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see his name floated in rumors again this season. Yesterday’s demotion doesn’t suggest the organization has soured on Frazier long-term, but it does underscore the difficulty for him in carving out an immediate, significant role in the Bronx.

Nelson and Kriske, meanwhile, will each make their MLB debut if/when they get into a game. Each posted strong strikeout and run prevention numbers in Double-A in 2019, albeit with slightly elevated walk rates.

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