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Penn Murfee

White Sox Outright Penn Murfee; Bobby Dalbec Elects Free Agency

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The White Sox have sent right-hander Penn Murfee to Triple-A Charlotte, reports Scott Merkin of MLB.com. There had been no previous indication that the righty had been removed from the 40-man roster but the Sox evidently passed him through waivers in recent days. Their 40-man count drops to 39. Merkin adds that infielder Bobby Dalbec, who was designated for assignment two days ago, also cleared waivers but has exercised his right to elect free agency.

Murfee, 31, was claimed off waivers from the Astros in November. His White Sox tenure got off to a rough start. He logged 12 2/3 innings over 15 appearances, allowing 11 earned runs for a 7.82 ERA. That’s a small sample and it’s possible luck played a part in it. His .390 batting average on balls in play and 67.3% strand rate are both to the unfortunate side. His 3.85 SIERA suggests he deserved better. But on the other hand, his 20.6% strikeout rate was a big drop from his previous work.

Prior to joining the White Sox, Murfee logged 83 1/3 innings with the Mariners over 2022 and 2023. In that time, he had a 2.70 ERA, 27.9% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate. Unfortunately, he required UCL surgery in June of 2023, wiping out the remainder of that season and his 2024.

After the 2023 season, the Mariners put him on waivers. Even though he was facing a notable absence, his numbers were good enough that he bounced to the Mets, Braves, Astros and White Sox on waiver claims. All his pitches have seen a slight drop in velocity this year relative to 2022. Perhaps that provides some explanation for the reduced strikeout rate and, in turn, the lack of interest on the waiver wire.

Murfee finished 2024 with two years and 169 days of service time, just three days shy of the three-year line. By spending the first month-plus of the 2025 season on the active roster, he pushed over that three-year marker. He qualified for arbitration in the winter as a Super Two player but couldn’t push his salary up terribly high due to his injury absence. He and the White Sox avoided arbitration in January by agreeing to a salary of $780K, just a bit above this year’s $760K minimum.

Since he has over three years of service, he has the right to reject this outright assignment in favor of free agency. But since he has less than five, he would have to forfeit his remaining salary in order to exercise that right. As such, he is likely to report to Charlotte and attempt to work his way back onto the roster.

Dalbec, 30 next month, signed a minor league deal with the Sox in the winter. He got added to the roster about two weeks ago when Chase Meidroth hit the injured list but was bumped off when Josh Rojas returned from the IL. He has shown huge power in his career, with 47 home runs in 1,065 plate appearances, but has undercut that with a massive 36.6% strikeout rate.

Like Murfee, Dalbec is between three and five years of service. His deal with the White Sox reportedly came with a $1.25MM salary in the majors but it’s possible that it was some kind of split deal that wasn’t fully guaranteed and/or wouldn’t pay him as much in the minors. Whatever the details, Dalbec felt comfortable walking away and heading to the open market to see what other opportunities are out there.

Photo courtesy of Patrick Gorski, Imagn Images

White Sox Designate Bobby Dalbec For Assignment

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The White Sox announced a series of roster moves this morning. The club reinstated infielder Josh Rojas from the injured list, selected the contract of right-hander Caleb Freeman, and recalled southpaw Tyler Gilbert to the big league roster. In corresponding moves, infielder Bobby Dalbec was designated for assignment while southpaw Fraser Ellard was placed on the 15-day injured list with a left lat strain and righty Penn Murfee was optioned to Triple-A.

Rojas, 31 next month, signed with the White Sox this past winter after being non-tendered by the Mariners. Drafted in the 26th round by the Astros back in 2017, Rojas was shipped to Arizona in the Zack Greinke trade and made his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks not long after. After struggling to hit at the big league level in his first two MLB seasons, Rojas took a step forward and became a quality regular with a roughly league average bat and a strong glove all around the infield starting in his age-27 campaign back in 2021. The last four seasons have seen Rojas slash .252/.327/.373 with a 97 wRC+ between the Diamondbacks and Mariners while accumulating 7.2 fWAR.

A difficult second half in Seattle last year led to his non-tender, however, and the White Sox scooped him up over the offseason to serve as a veteran option in their young and unproven infield. Rojas began the season on the shelf due to a late spring toe fracture, however, and is only just now getting activated for his debut with Chicago. Since Rojas went down, Lenyn Sosa and Miguel Vargas have mostly handled second and third base. Now that Rojas is in the mix, he figures to start everyday against at least right-handed pitchers, though it wouldn’t be a shock to see him get at least some play against lefties as well despite his lackluster platoon splits thanks to solid defense.

Making room for Rojas’s return in the positional mix is Dalbec, who had taken up a bench role with the White Sox in recent weeks. He made it into just seven games with Chicago before being designated for assignment today, slashing .222/.333/.278 in that time with a 28.6% strikeout rate. A former top-100 prospect for the Red Sox, Dalbec hit .243/.308/.511 with 33 homers in 156 games between the 2020 and ’21 seasons but since then has looked miscast at the big league level, hitting just .199/.272/.328 in 520 plate appearances since the start of the 2022 season while striking out at a whopping 37.5% clip. The White Sox will now have one week to trade Dalbec or attempt to pass him through waivers. Should he clear waivers, Dalbec will have the opportunity to elect free agency as a player with a previous career outright.

Dalbec’s 40-man roster spot will go to Freeman, whose first game with the Sox will be his major league debut. The 27-year-old was a 15th-rounder in the 2019 draft and has mostly posted pedestrian numbers throughout his MiLB career, but he’s gotten off to quite a hot start at Triple-A this year. In 13 1/3 innings of work across ten outings, Freeman has posted a 1.35 ERA while striking out 33.3% of his opponents. Those exciting numbers are still in a very small sample size, of course, but it was still enough for the White Sox to give the righty a look in a bullpen that could surely stand to benefit from a breakout performer within its ranks.

Ellard departs the roster in a move that makes room for Freeman on the active roster. The southpaw’s 6.75 ERA in seven outings this year is lackluster, though his 40% strikeout rate in that limited taste of big league action this year was exciting enough that the loss of Ellard from the bullpen mix is still a significant hit to the unit’s overall upside. Meanwhile, Gilbert rejoins the roster as a swing option despite below average results (5.59 ERA, 4.40 FIP) in 9 2/3 innings of work this year at the expense of Murfee, who has been torched for a 7.82 ERA in 15 outings this year and will head to Triple-A for a reset.

White Sox Claim Penn Murfee

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The White Sox announced that they have claimed right-hander Penn Murfee off waivers from the Astros. The Sox also announced that righties Matt Foster and Jimmy Lambert both elected free agency in lieu of accepting outright assignments, indicating both players cleared waivers recently.

Murfee, 31 in May, posted strong results for the Mariners in 2022 and 2023. He tossed 83 1/3 innings with a 2.70 earned run average, 27.9% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate. Unfortunately, he’s been on ice for a while, having undergone UCL surgery in June of 2023.

Since then, he has bounced around the league, going to the Mets, Braves, Astros and now White Sox via waiver claims. He began a rehabbing in August of this year but that assignment was shut down after just one appearance with the Astros saying he had “a reoccurrence of right elbow discomfort.”

His current status is unclear but the White Sox are perhaps the team best positioned to be patient with him. They just wrapped up the worst season in the modern era of baseball and can’t be expected to return to contention any time soon. Murfee can still be retained for four more seasons and the Sox will see if they can get him back on track.

Foster, 30 in January, has thrown 119 1/3 innings in his major league career with a 4.30 ERA, 23.1% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. He had Tommy John surgery in April of 2023 and has missed most of the past two years.

He could have been retained for next year via arbitration with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $900K salary. However, this move indicates the White Sox didn’t want him back at that price point, nor did any of the other clubs who all passed on the chance to grab him off waivers.

Lambert, 30 this month, has thrown 99 2/3 innings for the Sox in his big league career with a 4.33 ERA, 22.1% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate. He exhausted his final option year in 2023 and went on to spend all of 2024 on the injured list, eventually undergoing shoulder surgery in August. He qualified for arbitration for the first time this winter and was projected for a $1.2MM salary next year but the Sox decided cut him from the roster.

Both he and Foster have at least three years of service time, which gives them the right to reject outrights assignments and elect free agency. Both players exercised their rights and will head to the open market in search of their respective next opportunities.

Astros Shut Down Penn Murfee’s Rehab Assignment

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Right-hander Penn Murfee began a rehab assignment last week but made just one appearance and will now be shut down. Per Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle, the righty has been returned from that rehab assignment due to what the team calls “a reoccurrence of right elbow discomfort.”

Murfee, now 30, got out to a strong start in his major league career. He made 80 appearances for the Mariners over the 2022 and 2023 seasons with a 2.70 earned run average. He posted a strong 27.9% strikeout rate in that time, with his 8.5% walk rate close to league average.

The latter of those two seasons was cut short midway through, as he underwent Tommy John surgery in July of last year. In the offseason, the M’s put him on waivers and he was claimed by the Mets and then Atlanta. The latter club non-tendered him, re-signed him to a split deal and then put him back on waivers, at which point the Astros claimed him.

Houston was undoubtedly hoping Murfee could provide a second-half jolt to their bullpen once he recovered from his surgery, but that’s looking less likely now. “It’s not ideal,” manager Joe Espada said. “It sucks because I know he’s worked really hard. He wants to get on the field, he wants to pitch for us this season. I still expect him to do it. It’s just, we’re going to have to slow him down a little bit here and see how he feels. It’s day to day right now.”

It seems Espada still left the window open for Murfee to come back this year, but it’ll be tight just based on the calendar. Whenever he’s cleared to restart his rehab, he’ll presumably need a few outings to get into game shape after so much down time. The Astros have taken the lead in the West division and could perhaps increase the chances of Murfee playing a role if they manage to play deep into October yet again.

Even if that doesn’t come to pass, Murfee could play a role on the club in the future. He came into this season with one year and 169 days of service time. Players on the major league injured list collect service time, so he’ll finish this year at 2.169 as long as he’s not activated and then optioned in the next few weeks. He will qualify for arbitration as a Super Two player this winter but won’t be able to command a huge raise after so much missed time. The Astros can control him for four additional seasons beyond this one.

In another bit of Astros news, Chandler Rome of The Athletic relays on X that the club is going to give Alex Bregman some reps at first base. He recently missed a few games due to right elbow inflammation but has been in the last two contests as the designated hitter. Shay Whitcomb has been covering the hot corner of late while Bregman’s elbow is preventing him from making strong throws across the diamond, but perhaps he could handle first, where the throwing demands are lower.

While the club is surely glad to have Bregman’s bat back in the lineup, it currently makes for a slightly awkward fit as it forces Yordan Alvarez to play the field every day. The club has also given some DH time to Yainer Diaz this year, keeping his bat in the lineup whenever Victor Caratini is catching. If Bregman could slot in at first from time to time, it could give Espada a bit more flexibility in setting the lineup, getting Alvarez and Diaz a lighter workload as they approach the postseason.

First base has been a bit hole for the club this year, with José Abreu having been released after his immense struggles. Jon Singleton has largely taken over, with Zach Dezenzo also factoring in lately and Diaz moving there on occasion as well. Singleton is hitting .234/.314/.369 this year for a wRC+ of 97, almost league average but a bit below the expectations for a first baseman. Dezenzo has hit .188/.235/.313 in a small sample of 34 plate appearances. Bregman has hit .261/.319/.448 this year for a 117 wRC+ but has been even better lately. After cold start to the season, he has hit .296/.351/.512 since the start of June for a 145 wRC+.

Astros Pitching Notes: Garcia, Verlander, Murfee

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This weekend was supposed to mark the start of Luis Garcia’s next minor league rehab assignment, but Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) that Garcia is “feeling a little bit sore.”  While Espada was quick to say that Garcia wasn’t being shut down, the team was going to take it easy with the righty-hander after he felt what Espada described as “some soreness in his elbow” following a game of catch on Thursday.

Garcia underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, and his first attempt at a rehab assignment lasted two outings — an inning with the Astros’ rookie ball team in late June, and then 1 1/3 innings for Double-A Corpus Christi in early July.  He was then held back from any more game action due to some physical discomfort and trouble bouncing back between pitching appearances.  The Astros were slowly ramping him back up, and after Garcia’s live batting practice session last Tuesday seemed to go without a hitch, plans were made for another rehab assignment.

Instead, some questions now have to be asked about when exactly Garcia will be able to properly get back onto the mound in the wake of this latest setback.  Though Garcia will require a pretty lengthy rehab stint when he is able to pitch, the Astros have said Garcia could potentially return as a reliever.  This would require less build-up than rehabbing to work as a starting pitcher, so Garcia could make it back a bit quicker and pitch out of Houston’s bullpen later in the season or into a potential postseason run.  Garcia would therefore be able to contribute to the 2024 team in some fashion, yet with still a decent length of time remaining in the regular season, the Astros will certainly first see if Garcia can indeed get healthy and ready enough to return to his customary starting role.

Garcia established himself as a solid member of the starting five when he posted a 3.60 ERA over 312 2/3 innings in 2021-22, helping the Astros to two AL pennants in those years and the World Series title in 2022.  Given the usual timeframe for Tommy John rehab, his projected return in the second half of this season gained extra import considering how the Astros have been ravaged by pitching injuries.

Justin Verlander has twice been sidelined — first with some shoulder inflammation that delayed his season debut until April 19, and then a bout of neck stiffness that has kept him off the mound since June 9.  The good news is that Verlander is inching towards a return, as Espada said the star righty will face live batters during a batting practice session on Sunday.  Verlander is tentatively then planned to begin a rehab assignment, with Espada specifying that Verlander will need multiple starts to build up his arm to return to starting duty.

Penn Murfee is another pitcher getting ready to face live batters, as the reliever will be throwing a live BP session at the Astros’ Spring Training complex this weekend.  Murfee told Kawahara and company that the plan is for him to begin his own rehab assignment after throwing three live BP sessions.

Debuting in the majors in 2022, Murfee made a quick impression by posting a 2.99 ERA in 69 1/3 relief innings for the Mariners.  He followed up that great rookie year with a 1.29 ERA in his first 14 innings of the 2023 campaign before undergoing a UCL-related surgery in June 2023, and Seattle then opted to place him on waivers at the start of the offseason.  This led to Murfee going to the Mets and then the Braves on a pair of waiver claims, a new contract with the Braves after Atlanta non-tendered him, and then another waiver claim to the Astros in late March.  If Murfee’s rehab goes smoothly and he is able to recapture his old form, he presents Houston with an intriguing bullpen addition for the final stretch.

Astros To Claim Miguel Diaz, Cooper Hummel Off Waivers

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2:05 pm: The Astros have now announced both claims. In corresponding moves, they transferred right-handers Luis Garcia Jr. and Penn Murfee to the 60-day injured list. Both pitchers underwent elbow surgery last summer and won’t be available for a few more months, at least.

12:27 pm: The Astros are set to make a pair of waiver claims. Neither has been formally announced by the club just yet, but Chandler Rome of The Athletic reports that Houston is claiming right-hander Miguel Diaz off waivers from the Tigers, who’d designated him for assignment last week. Ari Alexander of KPRC-2 in Houston further reports that the ’Stros are claiming catcher/outfielder Cooper Hummel, who was designated for assignment by the Giants last week.

Diaz, 29, has pitched in parts of six big league seasons — four with the Padres and two with the Tigers. He tossed 14 innings out of the Detroit ’pen in 2023, allowing just one run on eight hits and five walks with 16 strikeouts. It was a brief but dominant showing that surely enhanced his standing within the organization and gave him a chance to break camp with the 2024 club. However, Diaz struggled this spring, surrendering five runs on ten hits and five walks in 8 1/3 innings.

Originally selected by the Padres (by way of a trade with the Twins) out of the Brewers organization in the 2016 Rule 5 Draft, Diaz’s big league career began in rocky fashion. That was understandable, given that San Diego carried a then-22-year-old Diaz on the roster all season after plucking him directly out of A-ball. He pitched just 66 2/3 innings in his first three seasons, logging a lowly 6.62 ERA. The Friars non-tendered him in 2019 to remove him from the 40-man roster but quickly re-signed him.

In 2021, Diaz returned to the majors with 42 effective innings out of the San Diego ’pen. Over the past three seasons, he carries a 2.87 ERA, 27.1% strikeout rate, 10.8% walk rate and 41.9% ground-ball rate in 59 2/3 innings. Diaz is out of minor league options, so he’ll head directly to the Houston bullpen as he cannot be sent to the minors without first passing through waivers. If he can demonstrate some staying power in manager Joe Espada’s bullpen, he can be controlled through the 2027 season via arbitration.

Hummel, 29, has bounced from the Mariners, to the Mets, to the Giants and now the Astros since the end of the 2023 season. He appeared in 10 MLB games last year and came to the plate 26 times with Seattle. He also received a brief look with the D-backs in 2022, and he’s posted an overall .166/.264/.286 line in 227 career plate appearances.

Ugly as that small-sample slash line may be, Hummel turned in a .262/.409/.435 batting line in Triple-A last year and drew walks at a massive 18% clip. His ability to play both catcher and corner outfield gives him a relatively uncommon brand of versatility. Hummel has logged more than 1800 innings in left field, 1054 frames behind the plate, 508 innings at first base and another 296 innings in right field. Add in that he has a minor league option remaining, and he’s an interesting depth piece even if he hasn’t yet produced at the big league level.

Astros Claim Penn Murfee From Braves

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The Astros have claimed right-hander Penn Murfee from the Braves, reports Chandler Rome of The Athletic. The Astros placed righty Kendall Graveman on the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move. Graveman is going to miss the entire 2024 season due to shoulder surgery.

It was reported on Monday that Murfee was released but it seems he was actually on release waivers and had not yet cleared. Murfee, who turns 30 in May, had surgery on his ulnar collateral ligament in June of last year while with the Mariners. This offseason, he was claimed off waivers by the Mets and Braves, with the latter club non-tendering him and re-signing him.

Atlanta put him on waivers this week to try to open up a roster spot but the Astros swooped in with a claim. It’s a little strange that Atlanta put him on waivers since they only have 36 players on their 40-man roster right now. Injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers, only release waivers. Perhaps the club was hoping Murfee would clear and become a free agent, then they could re-sign him to a minor league deal, not having to give him major league pay or service time. It’s a moot point now as whatever plans Atlanta had were foiled by Houston.

The Astros have roster spots to burn, so it’s more or less a free pickup for them. As mentioned, Graveman is going to miss the entire season and was going to end up on the 60-day IL at some point. The same is true of Luis García Jr., who had Tommy John surgery in May of last year. Lance McCullers Jr. had flexor tendon surgery and is a candidate for the 60-day IL as well. Then there’s Oliver Ortega, who recently had surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow and will miss three to four months.

With all of those injuries, it’s quite easy for the Astros to claim a player and make a corresponding move and Murfee will now give them yet another player that can be moved to the 60-day IL to open up a spot in the future.

Murfee has a 2.70 career earned run average in 83 1/3 major league innings, all of those with the Mariners over the past two seasons. He struck out 27.9% of batters faced in that time while giving out walks at an 8.5% clip. Given those results, it’s understandable that so many clubs have shown interest since he lost his roster spot with Seattle.

Once healthy, he will jump into the mix for a spot in a Houston bullpen that has seen a decent amount of turnover. Héctor Neris, Phil Maton and Ryne Stanek each hit free agency and signed with other clubs. Graveman’s injury further depleted the depth and spurred the Astros to make a splashy addition, signing Josh Hader. Combined with Ryan Pressly and Bryan Abreu, Hader gives the Astros a lethal punch for leverage spots but the relief corps isn’t as deep as it was last year.

Murfee has just under two years of service, meaning the Astros could theoretically retain him for the next five years if he returns to health and is in good form. He also has a full slate of options, giving them some roster flexibility going forward.

Braves Release Penn Murfee

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The Braves have released right-hander Penn Murfee, reports Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The move clears a spot on Atlanta’s 40-man roster. Murfee was claimed off waivers back in November, non-tendered a few days later, and then re-signed to a major league contract just weeks after that. The sidearming righty posted excellent numbers with the Mariners in 2022-23 but underwent a season-ending UCL procedure late last June and figures to miss considerable time in 2024 as a result.

Injured players can’t be placed on outright waivers, though the Braves could’ve placed him on the major league 60-day injured list if they wanted to open a 40-man roster spot and keep Murfee as a possible down-the-road option in 2024. It’s possible Atlanta will look to quickly re-sign Murfee to a minor league deal so he can continue his rehab process with them, but today’s move ensures that he’ll have the opportunity to at least speak with the game’s other 29 clubs and see if he feels there’s a better opportunity elsewhere.

The 29-year-old Murfee made his big league debut with the 2022 Mariners and came out of nowhere as a quality middle-innings option. The former 33rd-round pick had never been a particularly prominent prospect within Seattle’s system and posted fairly nondescript numbers up through 2021 in the minors. His MLB debut campaign featured 69 innings of 2.99 ERA ball, however, and Murfee fanned an impressive 27.9% of his opponents against a very sharp 6.6% walk rate.

Murfee looked like the next in a long line of high-end Mariners relievers to emerge from obscurity. He opened the 2023 season with 14 innings of 1.29 ERA ball, albeit with a massive uptick in walks (17.2%). His already below-average fastball velocity dipped to an average of 88.1 mph, and Murfee twice landed on the injured list due to elbow inflammation in the season’s first couple months. By June 27, he’d been diagnosed with enough UCL damage that surgery was recommended.

It’s not clear just when Murfee will be cleared to return the mound. He unsurprisingly hasn’t pitched in a spring game while working through the rehab process. A return at some point late in the 2024 season seems feasible, provided he’s able to avoid any setbacks. The right-hander has 1.169 years of MLB service, meaning he can be controlled at least five more seasons, and he also has all three minor league option years remaining.

Braves Sign Penn Murfee, Jackson Stephens To Major League Deals

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The Braves announced the signings of relievers Penn Murfee and Jackson Stephens to one-year split deals. A split contract means the player would be paid at differing rates for time spent in the majors versus Triple-A. Both pitchers rejoin Atlanta’s 40-man roster. The team still has seven openings on the 40-man on the heels of an active non-tender deadline.

Murfee and Stephens were each dropped from the roster within the past couple weeks. Atlanta had cut Murfee loose at the non-tender deadline. Stephens hit the open market not long before that after going unclaimed on outright waivers.

The Braves had just snagged Murfee off waivers a few days before cutting him loose. The 29-year-old righty has 80 games of major league experience, all of which have come with the Mariners over the past two seasons. Leaning heavily on a sweeping slider, Murfee has posted strong results. He owns a 2.70 ERA in 83 1/3 innings, striking out nearly 28% of batters faced. He has found success against hitters of either handedness.

Murfee’s season was unfortunately cut short in June. The 29-year-old underwent surgery to repair a UCL tear in his elbow. He’ll miss a good portion of next season as a result. There’s no injured list during the offseason, explaining Seattle’s decision to move on despite his strong body of work. The Braves have enough roster space to give Murfee a spot, at least for the time being. If he sticks on the roster for the rest of the offseason, they could place him on the 60-day injured list whenever they need a 40-man spot from the start of Spring Training onward.

Stephens, 29, has spent the past two seasons in the Atlanta organization. The righty logged more big league action in 2022, when he turned in a 3.69 ERA through 53 2/3 frames. He didn’t see as much time this past season, tallying only 12 MLB innings over five appearances in September. Stephens worked to a 3.28 ERA with a strong 26% strikeout rate across 24 2/3 innings with Triple-A Gwinnett.

Since he is out of minor league options, he’d have to open next season on the active roster or again be exposed to waivers. Stephens would have the right to elect free agency if the Braves successfully passed him through waivers unclaimed. Since he has less than five years of service time, he’d have to forfeit his guaranteed salary to become a free agent. By signing him to a split deal that locks in an undisclosed amount of money for whatever time he spends in Triple-A, the Braves increase their chance of retaining Stephens as non-roster depth in the event they try to run him through waivers at some point.

Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that Murfee was returning to the Braves on a major league deal shortly before the club announcement.

Five Non-Tendered Relievers To Keep An Eye On This Offseason

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Every year, MLB’s non-tender deadline sees club’s allow players under team control to head for the open market early, whether it be due to an increasing price tag in arbitration or a need for additional space on the club’s 40-man roster. While being cast aside in this manner is often a bad omen for a player’s prospect, the likes of right-hander Kevin Gausman and center fielder Cody Bellinger have gone on to find considerable success after being non-tendered.

Relief arms are among the players most commonly cut loose at the non-tender deadline. Though it’s elite players on the level of Bellinger and Gausman aren’t found among the relievers non-tendered each year, teams find quality bullpen pieces among the pile of discarded players fairly frequently. Rays right-hander Jason Adam, Orioles lefty Danny Coulombe and Phillies righty Jeff Hoffman are among the pieces non-tendered in recent years who went on to have strong seasons out of the bullpen.

Now that we’ve discussed five hitters and starters to keep an eye on this coming winter, let’s turn our attention to bullpen arms. Though this offseason’s crop of free agent relievers has plenty of interesting options, headlined by relief ace Josh Hader, all 30 clubs are constantly on the lookout for additional bullpen help, more so than they are for any other position. Without further ado, let’s take a look at five relievers who hit free agency following last week’s non-tender deadline and could be worth keeping an eye on throughout the offseason. Players are listed in alphabetical order, with their age for the 2024 season in parentheses.

Adam Cimber (33)

A ninth-round pick by the Padres in the 2013 draft, Cimber made his big league debut with San Diego during the 2018 season but was almost immediately shipped to Cleveland alongside Brad Hand in a deadline deal that sent catching prospect Francisco Mejia to the Padres. Cimber remained in Cleveland through the end of the 2020 season, acting as an adequate middle reliever with a combined 4.30 ERA (108 ERA+) and 4.70 FIP across 110 appearances. The sidearming righty had a breakout season in 2021, with a 2.26 ERA and 3.07 FIP in 71 2/3 innings of work between the Marlins and Blue Jays.

His excellence continued for Toronto last year, as he posted a 2.80 ERA with a 3.47 FIP while appearing in 77 contests, the most in the big leagues that season. Unfortunately, things came off the rails for Cimber in 2023 as he was sidelined for much of the year by multiple shoulder injuries. That being said, it’s easy to see how Cimber could positively impact a club’s bullpen in 2024 if healthy, given the late-inning potential he flashed in recent years.

Trevor Gott (31)

Gott was drafted by the Padres in the same year as Cimber, with San Diego selecting the righty in the sixth round of the 2013 draft. He didn’t stick in the Padres organization long, however, as he was quickly shipped to Anaheim before making his big league debut with the Angels in 2015. Though he posted a strong 2.85 ERA and 3.68 FIP across his first 57 big league appearances with the Halos and Nationals, the 2017-20 seasons saw Gott struggle with injuries and under-performance as he posted a ghastly 6.36 ERA and 5.18 FIP in 89 big league appearances. Those struggles saw Gott spend the entire 2021 campaign in the minor leagues.

Since then, however, Gott has fashioned himself into a solid middle relief option with peripherals that could hint at something more. Gott has been roughly league average by the results the past two seasons, with a 4.17 ERA across 103 2/3 innings of work split between Milwaukee, Seattle, and Queens. During that time, Gott has posted 23.7% strikeout rate against a 6.9% walk rate, both better-than league average marks. If Gott can replicate his 2023 campaign while getting his sky-high .343 BABIP under control in 2024, he could prove to be a valuable relief arm for a contending club.

Tim Hill (34)

The oldest entrant on this list, Hill was a 32nd-round pick by the Royals in the 2014 draft and made his debut with the club in 2018 at the age of 28. Hill was a steady if uninspiring left-handed relief option for Kansas City and San Diego from 2018-22, with a 3.88 ERA and 3.98 FIP that both clocked in slightly better than league average in that time. Unfortunately, his 2023 campaign saw him post a brutal 5.48 ERA and matching 5.49 FIP in 44 1/3 innings of work.

While Hill posted a well-below league average 12.9% strikeout rate and allowed a massive 1.033 OPS to right-handers this year, his fantastic 61.2% groundball rate in 2023 and strong .223/.302/.304 slash line allowed against lefties for his career suggest he could be a solid option against left-handers out of the bullpen next year for a club lacking depth in that area.

Brandon Hughes (28)

A 16th-round pick by the Cubs in the 2017 draft, Hughes began his professional career as an outfielder before converting to left-handed relief prior to the 2019 season. He posted solid numbers in the lower levels of the minors in that first season as a bullpen arm before breaking out in a big way during the 2021 campaign, with a 1.71 ERA in 42 innings between High-A and Double-A. After 16 2/3 scoreless innings of work at the Double- and Triple-A levels in 2022, Hughes got the call to the majors and fashioned a strong rookie campaign, with a 3.12 ERA and 4.64 FIP in 57 2/3 innings of work for Chicago while picking up eight saves.

Hughes appeared poised to be a key piece of the Cubs’ bullpen in 2023 after his strong 2022 debut. While he managed a strong 27% strikeout rate, he struggled badly with his control (12.7% walk rate) and surrendered 11 runs in 17 appearances before seeing his 2023 cut short by knee surgery. That said, he’s expected to be ready for Spring Training in 2024, and could be an interesting left-handed relief option for clubs thanks to his youth and recent late-inning success.

Penn Murfee (30)

Murfee stands out somewhat from the rest of the options on this list thanks to his consistently excellent results at the big league level. Initially drafted by the Mariners in the 33rd round of the 2018 draft, Murfee debuted in the big leagues during the 2022 season and fashioned an excellent rookie campaign with a 2.99 ERA, 3.10 FIP, and 27.9% strikeout rate across 69 1/3 innings of work. He followed that up with even better results in 2023, as the right-hander posted a sterling 1.26 ERA across his first sixteen appearances this year. Unfortunately, those would prove to be his only appearances in 2023 as he underwent UCL surgery in late June.

Murfee was cut loose by the Mariners but found himself claimed by both the Mets and Braves before being non-tendered by Atlanta at the deadline earlier this month. Though Murfee figures to miss most, if not all, of the 2024 campaign, the right-hander is under team control through at least the 2028 season. That long-term team control could make the late-blooming righty an interesting pickup for a team willing to take a chance on him as he continues his rehab process.

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