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Jeremy Walker

Giants Sign Jeremy Walker

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The Giants have signed right-hander Jeremy Walker, he announced Wednesday on Instagram (h/t: Mark W. Sanchez of KNBR). It’s presumably a minor league contract for Walker, whom the Braves released Feb. 12.

Walker was a 2016 fifth-round pick of the Braves who made his major league debut with the team in 2019, when he put up 9 1/3 innings of two-run ball with six strikeouts, four walks and a 57.1 percent groundball rate. He wasn’t able to follow up on that solid performance last year, though, owing in part to a shoulder impingement that sidelined him for 2020.

At the minor league level, Walker has also kept runs off the board while inducing plenty of grounders and limiting walks. In 2019, for instance, he recorded a 2.88 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning and a little over one walk per nine across 81 1/3 frames between Double-A and Triple-A ball. Based on Walker’s production as a pro, he seems like a worthwhile buy-low addition for the Giants.

Braves Claim Travis Demeritte From Tigers

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The Braves have claimed infielder/outfielder Travis Demeritte off waivers from the Tigers, per announcements from both teams. Atlanta released right-hander Jeremy Walker in a corresponding move.

Demeritte was the 30th overall pick of the Rangers in 2013, but they traded him to the Braves in 2016 for pitchers Lucas Harrell and Dario Alvarez. Demeritte stayed with the Braves until they sent him to the Tigers at the 2019 trade deadline in a deal for reliever Shane Greene. He combined for 219 plate appearances as a Tiger from 2019-20 and batted .217/.264/.323 with three home runs. The Tigers designated the 26-year-old Demeritte for assignment last week. Despite his woes in the bigs, Demeritte’s a .286/.387/.558 hitter in 399 PA in Triple-A with two minor league options remaining, so he could have a legitimate second act with the Braves.

Walker, 25, was a fifth-rounder of the Braves in 2016 who worked his way to the majors in 2019, when he tossed 9 1/3 innings and surrendered just two earned runs on nine hits and four walks (with six strikeouts). Walker impressed at the Double-A and Triple-A levels before then, but he didn’t pitch at all last year because of shoulder problems.

Braves Place Jeremy Walker On 45-Day Injured List

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The Braves announced Friday that they’ve placed right-hander Jeremy Walker on the newly created 45-day injured list due to a right shoulder impingement. The issue initially arose in the original Spring Training, David O’Brien of The Athletic tweets. The 45-day IL took the place of the 60-day IL given the shortened nature of the 2020 season, so shelving Walker in this manner opens a 40-man spot for Atlanta.

Walker, 25, made his big league debut with the Braves in 2019. In 9 1/3 frames, he allowed a pair of runs on nine hits and four walks with six punchouts. Prior to that, the 2016 fifth-rounder had split the season between Double-A and Triple-A, where he compiled a combined 2.88 ERA with a sterling 82-to-11 K/BB ratio in 81 1/3 innings.

The Braves previously had a full 40-man roster, and while this could free them up to make a move now that MLB’s transactions freeze has been lifted — be it a signing, trade or waiver claim — they also had several non-roster veterans in camp who seemed likely to be added to the 40-man roster. Felix Hernandez, Charlie Culberson and Josh Tomlin were all non-roster invitees, and each of the three appeared to have a solid chance at making the club even before Opening Day rosters were set to expand to 30 players.

Braves Designate Shane Carle For Assignment

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The Braves announced Wednesday that they’ve designated right-hander Shane Carle for assignment in order to open a 40-man roster spot for righty Jeremy Walker, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Gwinnett. Right-hander Wes Parsons was optioned to Gwinnett to clear a spot on the 25-man roster.

Carle, 28 next month, is only months season removed from a 2018 season that saw him finish the year with a 2.86 ERA in 63 innings of work, although he looked quite unlikely to repeat that production moving forward. Carle averaged just 6.1 K/9 against 3.9 BB/9 last season, surviving in large part due to a deflated .258 average on balls in play and excellent fortune in terms of home runs allowed (0.29 HR/9, 4.2% HR/FB).

Carle’s end-of-season numbers were buoyed by a particularly hot start to the season; however, after posting a 0.69 ERA in his first 26 innings, the righty came down to Earth with a 4.38 ERA and an unpalatable 24-to-21 K/BB ratio in his final 37 innings of work.

This season has been a particularly ugly one for Carle. In 9 1/3 big league innings he’s allowed 10 runs, walked nine batters and hit three more while striking out just six. His Triple-A results haven’t been much more encouraging, as he’s limped to a 5.13 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 3.8 BB/9 and a 46 percent ground-ball rate. To Carle’s credit, he’s had the BABIP pendulum swing the other direction against him with Gwinnett, as he’s seen hitters bat .356 on balls put into play against him. He’s still limiting homers (0.54 HR/9) in amid talk of juiced balls in one of the most hitter-friendly seasons the International League has ever seen.

Carle has an option remaining beyond the 2019 season, so a club in need of some bullpen help could certainly take a look at him as middle relief depth. The Braves will spend the next week trying to trade him but could also try to pass him throughout outright waivers (although last season’s success and the remaining option make him a decent bet to be claimed).

As for Walker, 24, he carved up Double-A opponents this season before a brief 11-inning stopover in Gwinnett. The 2016 fifth-round pick is now slated to make his MLB debut on the heels of 69 2/3 innings of 2.84 ERA ball and a 71-to-8 K/BB ratio between Double-A and Triple-A.

Braves To Select Contract Of Jeremy Walker

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The Braves will select the contract of right-hander Jeremy Walker, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman (via Twitter). Walker will be activated for tonight’s contest, taking the place of optioned righty Wes Parsons.

Walker put himself on the MLB radar with a strong showing to open the year in the upper minors. Previously a starter, the former fifth-round pick has functioned in a multi-inning relief capacity this season.

The results have been fairly compelling. Through 69 2/3 innings over 26 total appearances, Walker carries a 2.84 ERA with 9.2 K/9 and just 1.0 BB/9. He has generated grounders on well over half of the balls put in play against him and allowed just a pair of homers this season.

While it seems Walker is well-positioned to take his first crack at the majors, and he’d have needed a 40-man roster spot next fall for Rule 5 protection, adding him now will certainly impact the number of slots the club has to work with as it tweaks its roster in advance of the trade deadline. Improving the back of the pen still seems like a priority. Whether the team will end up jettisoning some veterans and/or trading valuable youngsters from its 40-man remains to be seen.

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