Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Jordan Weems

Nationals Select Jordan Weems, Designate Austin Voth

By | at

The Nationals announced a series of roster moves this afternoon. Washington selected reliever Jordan Weems onto the big league roster, designating righty Austin Voth for assignment in a corresponding transaction. The Nats also optioned Andres Machado to Triple-A Rochester and recalled southpaw Francisco Pérez. Washington also announced that righty Aaron Sanchez has cleared outright waivers and elected minor league free agency.

Weems is headed to the majors for the third consecutive season. The right-hander broke into the big leagues with the A’s in 2020, then split last year between the Oakland and Diamondbacks organizations. He had some success during his debut campaign, posting a 3.21 ERA through 14 innings. Weems walked an alarming 12.1% of opponents, but he induced swinging strikes at a strong 13.1% clip and fanned more than three in every ten batters faced.

The following year proved a significantly greater struggle, however. Opposing lineups tagged the former third-round pick for ten runs in 5 2/3 innings, and he saw his swinging strike numbers dip precipitously. Arizona grabbed Weems off waivers from Oakland in July but outrighted him off their roster themselves a month later. He continued to struggle down the stretch in Triple-A and reached minor league free agency at the end of the season.

Washington brought the 29-year-old aboard via non-roster deal in Spring Training. Assigned to Rochester to open the season, he’s earned his way back with an excellent showing. Weems has a 3.38 ERA across 24 innings of relief for the Red Wings, showcasing the best underlying numbers of his career in the process. He’s punched out 33.7% of opposing hitters while walking batters at just a 5.3% rate — a marked improvement over his 11.4% career mark in the minors. Weems still has a pair of minor league option years remaining, so the Nats can rotate him on and off the active roster without exposing him to waivers if they’re willing to keep him on the 40-man roster.

Voth has pitched in the big leagues for Washington in each of the last five years. A former fifth-round draftee, he reached the majors midway through the 2018 campaign. He’s worked as a swing option in the seasons since then, starting fairly frequently through 2020 but transitioning primarily into a multi-inning relief role over the past two years. Voth had a nice showing in 2019, posting a 3.30 ERA with quality strikeout and walk numbers through 43 2/3 frames, but he’s struggled in the trio of seasons since then.

The right-hander was a consistent member of the rotation during the abbreviated 2020 season, but he allowed more than six earned runs per nine innings while dealing with significant home run issues. The longball has continued to be a problem even after Voth’s bullpen transfer. Going back to the start of 2021, he’s allowed 1.7 homers per nine. Along the way, he’s posted a 6.51 ERA through 76 frames. That includes a 10.13 mark this season, with Voth allowing multiple runs in each of his last five outings.

Those struggles mounted to the point that Washington decided to move on. The 29-year-old is out of options, so a DFA was the only means for taking him off the active roster. He’ll now be traded or waived in the coming week.

Voth has more than three years of MLB service time, so he’d have the right to refuse a minor league assignment if he clears waivers. That’d require forfeiting the remainder of his $875K salary, however, making it likelier he’d accept an outright to Rochester if another club doesn’t take a shot on him.

Sanchez, meanwhile, was designated for assignment over the weekend. The right-hander was hit hard over seven big league starts after signing a minor league deal during Spring Training. He’ll presumably head out in search of another non-roster pact elsewhere. Sanchez has more than five years of service, so he’ll collect the remainder of his prorated $2MM salary in spite of his refusal of the outright assignment. Any signing team would only owe him the prorated portion of the $700K league minimum for time spent in the majors the rest of the season.

Nationals Sign Jordan Weems To Minor League Contract

By | at

The Nationals have signed right-hander Jordan Weems to a minor league deal, MLBTR has learned.  The contract contains an invitation to the Nationals’ big league Spring Training camp, once that camp eventually opens after the lockout ends.

A veteran of 11 professional seasons, Weems made his MLB debut in 2020, posting a 3.21 ERA over 14 innings out of the Athletics’ bullpen.  That solid performance didn’t carry over into a smaller sample size last season, as Weems had a 15.88 ERA over 5 2/3 total big league innings with the A’s and Diamondbacks.  Arizona claimed Weems off waivers in July but only used him in two Major League games before outrighting him off their 40-man roster in August.

It was a tough season all around for Weems, who also had a 7.31 ERA over 28 1/3 combined innings at the Triple-A level with the Athletics’ and Diamondbacks’ top affiliates.  Weems also saw a lot of shuttling back and forth between the majors and Triple-A, and he spent some time on the injured list with Triple-A Reno.

He’ll now look for a fresh start with Washington, and join a notable list of other newly-acquired pitchers (including Luis Avilan, Carl Edwards Jr., Victor Arano and more) competing in camp for a spot in the Nationals’ bullpen.  Weems has a live fastball, though control has been an issue throughout his pitching career.  This perhaps isn’t all that surprising since Weems only became a pitcher in 2016, after spending his first five minor league seasons as a catcher in the Red Sox farm system.

Diamondbacks Outright Jordan Weems

By | at

The Diamondbacks announced that reliever Jordan Weems has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Reno. The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster.

Arizona claimed Weems off waivers from the Athletics last month. He’s only made two big league appearances with the D-Backs after pitching in five games for Oakland earlier in the year. Between the two clubs, the righty worked 5 2/3 innings of ten-run ball, striking out seven and issuing six walks. It’s been a disappointing follow-up to a promising showing in brief work in 2020, when Weems posted a 3.21 ERA over fourteen frames with a massive 31% strikeout rate.

Weems doesn’t have the requisite service time to reject an outright assignment, so he’ll remain in Reno — where he’s spent the past few weeks after being optioned. The 28-year-old will look to pitch his way back into the majors before the end of the season. If he’s not reselected onto the 40-man roster before the end of the year, Weems will have the right to elect minor league free agency this offseason.

D-backs Claim Jordan Weems, Designate Ryan Buchter

By | at

The Diamondbacks announced Monday that they’ve claimed right-hander Jordan Weems off waivers from the Athletics. Veteran lefty Ryan Buchter was designated for assignment in a corresponding roster move.

Weems, 28, was designated for assignment himself over the weekend. He’s allowed three runs in 4 1/3 frames for Oakland this season and, dating back to last summer’s debut, has yielded a total of eight runs on 12 hits and 10 walks with 22 strikeouts in 18 1/3 frames.

A third-round pick of the Red Sox back in 2011, Weems never made it to The Show in Boston before reaching minor league free agency and latching on with the A’s. He posted solid numbers with Oakland’s MLB club last summer, albeit in 14 1/3 innings, but has been hit hard in a trio of brief stints at the Triple-A level: 6.67 ERA in 29 2/3 innings.

Weems averages better than 95 mph with his heater, however, and turned in a solid 13.1 percent swinging-strike rate in 2020. The Diamondbacks, starved for bullpen help, are surely hoping he can rediscover some of that 2020 form in a change of setting. Weems also has all three minor league options remaining, so he’s a flexible piece both for now and in future seasons if he indeed sticks on the 40-man roster.

As for the 34-year-old Buchter, he’ll now either be traded, placed on outright waivers or released in the next week. He’s tossed 14 2/3 innings of relief out of the Arizona bullpen so far but hasn’t had anywhere near the level of success he’s had for the majority of his big league career.

Buchter entered the season with a 2.90 ERA, a 26.8 percent strikeout rate and an 11.2 percent walk rate but has served up nine earned runs in 14 2/3 innings (5.52 ERA) with as many walks as strikeouts (19.1 percent apiece). His fastball, which averaged 92.6 mph in each of the past three seasons, is down to an average of 90.9 mph in 2021. Buchter’s 7.9 percent swinging-strike rate is also the lowest of his career.

A’s Select Sam Moll, Designate Jordan Weems For Assignment

By | at

The Athletics announced a trio of roster moves today, first and foremost selecting the contract of recently-acquired Sam Moll, placing him on the active roster. To make room, Domingo Acevedo was optioned to Triple-A and Jordan Weems was designated for assignment.

Moll returns to the Major Leagues for the first time since 2017 — the last time he was a member of the Oakland organization. Acquiring Moll from the Diamondbacks seemed like a depth move because he wasn’t on the 40-man roster, but the A’s clearly see a more immediate need for the 29-year-old southpaw. Beyond his short stint in the Majors with the A’s in 2017, Moll has been a true minor-league journeyman, playing first for Colorado — who drafted him in the third round back in 2013 — before moving on to Oakland, Toronto, San Francisco, and Arizona.

Weems made just five appearances this season and 14 for the A’s in the past two seasons. The 28-year-old struggles with his command — which has continued this season. Over 4 1/3 innings, Weems have allowed three earned runs on two hits and three walks while striking out four.

As for Acevedo, the former Yankees’ farmhand was signed by Oakland in November, 2020. In his first big league action, the right-hander allowed three earned runs in three innings across three outings. To his credit, he did not walk a batter while striking out three.

A’s Place J.B. Wendelken On Injured List, Recall Jordan Weems

By | at

The A’s placed J.B. Wendelken on the injured list with a strained left oblique today, per the team. They recalled Jordan Weems to take his spot in the bullpen.

Wendelken has been a major player out of the A’s bullpen so far this season, appearing in 15 games and tossing 12 1/3 innings with a 4.38 ERA/3.09 FIP, 43.6 percent groundball rate, 24.1 percent strikeout rate, and 8.6 percent walk rate. A too-high .368 BABIP has negatively affected Wendelken’s bottom line so far this season. His fastball velocity has been down to 93.3 mph, and he’s gotten very few hitters to chase (nine percent chase rate). Still, he’s avoided barrels (only one allowed this season) and largely done a nice job of limiting hard contact.

Weems was signed as a minor league free agent after beginning his career as a third round pick of the Red Sox back in 2011. He brings a three-pitch mix to the bullpen, pairing a 94-to-95 mph heater with a slider versus right-handers and a change-up versus lefties. He’s back on the active roster after a little more than a week at the alternate site. He has three appearances on the year totaling 2 1/3 innings, giving up one earned run on one hit with one walk and three strikeouts.

Athletics Promote James Kaprielian

By | at

The Athletics announced Tuesday that they’ve placed right-hander Jordan Weems on the 10-day injured list with a strained right lat and recalled right-hander James Kaprielian from their alternate training site.

Oakland already has a deep rotation — Sean Manaea, Jesus Luzardo, Mike Fiers, Frankie Montas, Chris Bassitt — so it seems that Kaprielian’s Major League debut will be made out of the bullpen. It’s been a long time coming for the former first-round pick and top 100 prospect, whom the A’s acquired in the trade that sent Sonny Gray to the Bronx.

Kaprielian, now 26 years old, was selected with the No. 16 oveall pick out of UCLA by the Yankees back in 2015. The 6’3″, 225-pound righty was impressive early in his pro career, but an elbow issue cost him most of the 2016 season. He made it back to pitch in the Arizona Fall League that year, which seemingly put him on track for a healthy 2017 season.

That, however, didn’t prove to be the case at all. Tommy John surgery early in 2017 would wipe out Kaprielian’s entire ’17 campaign, and the win-now Yankees bit the bullet when they traded the still highly regarded righty to Oakland in the aforementioned Gray deal. Oakland hoped to be acquiring a high-end talent when his stock was down due to injury, but he missed the 2018 season as well while recovering from that surgery.

Kaprielian finally made his organizational debut with the A’s in 2019, and he enjoyed strong results across three minor league levels. In 68 frames between Class-A Advanced, Double-A and Triple-A, Kaprielian worked to a combined 3.18 ERA with 9.9 K/9, 2.1 BB/9 and 1.06 HR/9.

It’s been a half decade since Kaprielian was drafted, and between his considerable injury troubles and the shortened 2020 season, he’s still thrown just 97 1/3 professional innings. But he’s been working at the Athletics’ satellite camp in Stockton and been deemed ready for a big league look by the club’s decision-makers. A spot in the rotation could eventually be in the fold for the righty in the future, but for the time being he’ll slot into the bullpen and await his first pitch off a big league mound.

Athletics Select Jordan Weems’ Contract

By | at

6:54PM: The A’s have officially selected Weems’ contract and added him to their 40-man roster, as per a team announcement.

6:32PM: Right-hander Jordan Weems has been told he will be part of the Athletics’ Opening Day roster, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.  Weems will need to be added to the 40-man roster, so the A’s will have to make another transaction prior to their July 24 season opener.

The news marks quite a journey for the 27-year-old Weems, who is in line for his first taste of big league baseball after being drafted by the Red Sox in the third round of the 2011 draft.  Originally selected as a catcher, Weems transitioned to pitching in 2016 and posted some solid numbers (3.87 ERA, 2.00 K/BB rate, 9.4 K/9) over 200 innings, though only 15 of those frames were at the Triple-A level.

After electing free agency last fall, Weems signed a minor league deal with Oakland in December and has since turned some heads within his new organization.  “He has a riding fastball, that split-finger fastball and an occasional breaking ball,” according to A’s pitching Scott Emerson.  “For a converted guy to be able to command the top part of the zone with a fastball and something soft at the bottom of the zone is pretty good for a guy who hasn’t done much pitching.”

This repertoire and a live fastball that has touched 98mph also attracted the attention of other teams, as Slusser writes that Weems “likely would have had multiple big league offers elsewhere” had the A’s decided against putting him on the MLB roster.  If he hadn’t made the roster, Weems had an opt-out clause in his minor league contract.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrowsFOX Sports Engage Network scroll to top