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Seth Elledge

A’s Sign Seth Elledge To Minor League Deal

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Right-hander Seth Elledge and the Athletics have agreed on a minor league deal, according to the transactions tracker on Elledge’s MLB.com profile page.

Elledge, 28 later this month, was a fourth-round pick by the Mariners in the 2017 draft and made his major league debut with the Cardinals during the shortened 2020 season. As a member of the St. Louis bullpen, Elledge posted a 4.63 ERA in 11 2/3 innings of work in both the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He sports a solid 24% strikeout rate at the big league level but struggled badly with his control to the tune of a 14.4% walk rate, leaving him with a lackluster 4.90 FIP.

The right-hander found himself designated for assignment by the Cardinals late in October of 2021 and hasn’t found his way back to a big league mound since despite having shuffled around the big leagues a great deal in recent years. Elledge signed with the Braves on a minor league deal prior to the 2022 season and selected him to the big league roster that offseason rather than allow him to return to minor league free agency, but he was designated for assignment in early April without making it into a game.

He spent the next several months riding the transactional carousel as he was claimed off waivers by the Mets and Tigers before ultimately clearing waivers with Detroit and electing free agency in late June, only to return to the Braves on a minor league deal just days later. The Braves once again select him to the roster and even placed him on the active roster in July, but he lasted on the roster for just a few days without making it into a game before once again being designated for assignment, electing free agency, and re-signing on a minor league deal.

Going forward, Elledge figures to act as non-roster bullpen depth for the A’s at the Triple-A level, where he’s posted a 4.69 ERA with a strong 27.8% strikeout rate and a tolerable 9.2% walk rate since the start of the 2022 season. Right-hander Alex Speas is the club’s only healthy bullpen option on the 40-man roster who isn’t already part of the club’s big league relief corps, meaning Elledge could have a viable path to the big league roster if he can position himself to be the next man up among a group of non-roster veterans at Triple-A with the A’s such as Vinny Nittoli and Gerardo Reyes. Oakland is currently relying on the likes of Michael Kelly and Dany Jimenez to fill out the middle of the bullpen ahead of the club’s late-inning arms, led by breakout closer Mason Miller.

Braves Sign Four To Minor League Deals

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The Braves recently signed four players to minor league contracts, according to the transaction tracker at MLB.com. Three players — relievers Seth Elledge and Danny Young and outfielder Eli White — return to the organization after being cut loose within the past few days. Atlanta also added reliever Rowan Wick, who’d been released by the Cubs last week.

Wick, 30, appeared in the majors with Chicago every season between 2019-22. He combined for a 3.66 ERA across 137 2/3 innings, missing bats at a slightly above-average rate but issuing a few more walks than ideal. The Cubs ran him through outright waivers in Spring Training and had kept him in Triple-A for the first half.

The right-hander has had a tough season at the top minor league level. He’s been tagged for more than a run per inning through 30 1/3 frames. His 24.1% strikeout percentage was fine, but he’d walked upwards of 13% of batters faced and allowed nine home runs. The Braves will take a no-risk flier on a change of scenery. Wick is making $1.55MM this season; the Cubs are on the hook for that tab, as Atlanta will only owe him the prorated portion of the $720K minimum salary if he spends any time on the big league roster.

Elledge has bounced between three organizations on the year. The 27-year-old righty hasn’t gotten into an MLB game this year and still awaits his first opportunity since 2021. He’d elected free agency after being outrighted by Atlanta on Tuesday but quickly circled back on a new minor league pact (a fairly common course of action for players in that situation). He has a 4.66 ERA in 36 2/3 innings over three Triple-A affiliates on the season.

Young and White recently sustained season-ending injuries while playing for Gwinnett. Atlanta released both players to clear space on the 40-man roster as a result. They’re each back in the organization — perhaps on two-year minor league pacts — to rehab from those injuries without holding spots on the 40-man.

Seth Elledge Elects Free Agency

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6:18pm: Elledge has elected free agency, tweets Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He had that right as a player who has been outrighted before in his career.

3:23pm: The Braves announced Tuesday that righty Seth Elledge, whom they designated for assignment on Sunday, has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Gwinnett. He’d just had his contract selected from Gwinnett a few days prior but did not appear in a Major League game.

Elledge, 27, opened the season on Atlanta’s 40-man roster but was designated for assignment in early April and bounced to the Mets and Tigers via the DFA circuit. Detroit designated him for assignment late last month, and the right-hander rejected an outright assignment after clearing waivers. He later returned to the Braves on a minor league deal.

While Elledge was hit hard with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate this season, he posted solid numbers in Detroit’s system and has been excellent in Gwinnett for the Braves: 9 2/3 innings, 1.86 ERA, 34.4% strikeout rate, 9.4% walk rate. He’s still awaiting his first big league look since posting a 4.63 ERA in 23 1/3 innings with the Cardinals from 2020-21.

Braves Claim Yonny Chirinos

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5:14PM: The Braves announced the Chirinos claim, as well as two corresponding moves.  Soroka was optioned to Triple-A, implying that Chirinos will be taking Soroka’s spot in the rotation.  Atlanta also designated right-hander Seth Elledge for assignment, just a few days after Elledge’s contract was selected to the active roster.  Elledge didn’t see any game action during his brief time in the majors before he sent back down to Triple-A yesterday.

3:42PM: The Braves have claimed right-hander Yonny Chirinos off waivers from the Rays.  Chirinos was designated for assignment by Tampa Bay earlier this week.

After Tommy John surgery limited Chirinos to 18 1/3 total innings from 2020-22, he has seemed fully healthy in pitching 62 2/3 frames this year working in a variety of different capacities for the Rays.  Chirinos has started four games, worked as a bulk pitcher (behind an opener) on multiple occasions, and also had a couple of traditional relief outings as a long man and mop-up man.  He has a 4.02 ERA to show for his efforts, though his 5.34 SIERA is perhaps more reflective of Chirinos’ overall performance.  The righty has benefited from a .244 BABIP and he isn’t missing many bats, with only an 11.8% strikeout rate.

These unfavorable secondary metrics could be why the Rays chose to DFA Chirinos, though for a team with as many pitching injuries as Tampa Bay, it still counted as something of an eyebrow-raising move.  As MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald noted last Monday when Chirinos was put on waivers, service time could have been a factor, as Chirinos has surpassed five years of MLB service time and now cannot be optioned to the minors without his permission.  This might have been a breaking point for a Rays team that often shuffles pitchers back and forth from Triple-A Durham — in fact, Chirinos himself was twice optioned earlier this season before he hit the five-year threshold.

Chirinos’ ability to work in several different roles would’ve made him a good fit on many clubs, but Atlanta is a particularly fitting landing spot given the Braves’ own pitching depth issues.  The Braves could see Chirinos as something of a replacement for Kolby Allard, who sent on the 60-day IL earlier this week due to nerve inflammation in his left shoulder.

Allard is one of a whopping eight pitchers on Atlanta’s 60-day IL, including such prominent arms as Max Fried, Kyle Wright, Jesse Chavez, and Nick Anderson.  Manager Brian Snitker said today that Fried might be one more rehab start away from returning to the active roster, but with so many other pitchers still out, Chirinos give the Braves flexibility.  Atlanta could ease Fried or Wright back into action by teaming them with Chirinos in a piggyback capacity, or Chirinos might be paired with Michael Soroka to manage innings.

Overall, Chirinos is a pretty nice pickup for the Braves to make even before they delve into further moves prior to the trade deadline.  There isn’t much financial cost (roughly $515K in remaining salary), and Chirinos is still controlled through the 2024 season via arbitration.

Braves Release Eli White

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The Braves announced that outfielder Eli White has been released.  The move creates a 40-man roster spot for right-hander Allan Winans, whose contract was officially selected two days after reports surfaced that the Braves were planning to start Winans in today’s game with the Brewers.  In another corresponding move, Atlanta optioned right-hander Seth Elledge to Triple-A Gwinnett.

The 29-year-old White joined the Braves via a trade from the Rangers back in December, and he appeared in six games for Atlanta back in April.  White was basically used as outfield depth when Michael Harris II was on the injured list, and White’s demotion to Triple-A corresponded with Harris’ return to the active roster.  Over 201 plate appearances in Gwinnett, White has a solid .254/.363/.450 slash line with nine homers and 14 stolen bases (in 15 chances).

Unfortunately, his season came to an impromptu end on July 6, as Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that White suffered a torn labrum in his left shoulder.  A specific recovery timeline isn’t known, but in a best-case scenario, White will be ready for Spring Training, though his rehab is likely going to impact his ability to catch on with a new team on a minor league deal.  The labrum tear continues White’s terrible run of injury luck, as this marks his third consecutive season-ending surgery, following an elbow procedure in 2021 and a wrist surgery in 2022.

A veteran of four MLB seasons, White was an 11th-round pick for the A’s in the 2016 draft who was dealt to the Rangers as part of the three-team deal that sent Jurickson Profar to Oakland and Emilio Pagan to the Rays.  White’s strong defense and baserunning made him a useful part-timer over 130 games with Texas from 2020-22, but he has hit only .181/.259/.288 over 406 PA in the majors.

Braves Select Seth Elledge, Release Danny Young

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The Braves announced Wednesday that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Seth Elledge from Triple-A Gwinnett. In a pair of corresponding roster moves, Atlanta placed outfielder Sam Hilliard on the 10-day injured list with a right heel contusion and released left-hander Danny Young (thereby opening a spot on the 40-man roster). Young recently sustained a yet-unspecified injury that’ll end his season. Injured players cannot be placed on outright waivers, so the Braves’ choices with him were to call him up and place him on the Major League 60-day IL or release him.

Elledge, 27, opened the season on Atlanta’s 40-man roster but was designated for assignment in early April and bounced to the Mets and Tigers via the DFA circuit. Detroit designated him for assignment late last month, and the right-hander rejected an outright assignment after clearing waivers. He later returned to the Braves on a minor league deal.

While Elledge was hit hard with the Mets’ Triple-A affiliate this season, he posted solid numbers in Detroit’s system and has been excellent in Gwinnett for the Braves: 9 2/3 innings, 1.86 ERA, 34.4% strikeout rate, 9.4% walk rate. He’ll get his first big league look since posting a 4.63 ERA in 23 1/3 innings with the Cardinals from 2020-21.

Young, 29, appeared in eight games with the Braves and pitched to a sterling 1.08 ERA with a 31.4% strikeout rate and 5.7% walk rate in 8 1/3 innings. He’s been hit hard in 15 2/3 Triple-A frames, however, yielding a 6.32 ERA and walking 13.8% of his opponents.

It’s common in situations like this one for the player to ultimately re-sign with the organization on a minor league deal, though that’s certainly not a given. Young will have the opportunity to talk to the other 29 teams, perhaps latching on somewhere with a two-year minor league pact that’ll cover his current injury rehab and give that team — be it the Braves or someone else — control over his rights into the 2024 season.

Braves Sign Charlie Culberson, Seth Elledge To Minor League Deals

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The Braves re-signed veteran utilityman Charlie Culberson to a new minor league contract just days after he rejected an outright assignment in favor of free agency, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Righty Seth Elledge, who also elected free agency following a recent DFA (by the Tigers), has also signed a minor league deal with Atlanta. It’s his second stint in the organization.

Culberson, 34, didn’t appear in a game with the Braves after being selected to the big league roster earlier this month. He’s spent the season in Triple-A Gwinnett, where he’s batted .204/.234/.255 in 107 plate appearances. A veteran who’s accrued more than seven years of MLB service over parts of ten big league seasons, Culberson also spent the 2018-20 seasons in Atlanta, hitting .265/.314/.454 in 473 plate appearances. Along the way, he endeared himself to the Atlanta faithful with a series of clutch hits, including multiple memorable walk-off home runs.

While Culberson hasn’t hit especially well this season, he’ll return to the Braves organization to remain on hand as a possible depth option and a mentor to up-and-coming infielders like Vaughn Grissom and Braden Shewmake. And, if the Braves feel they need some additional infield depth but don’t want to take either of those young players out of an everyday role to sit on the big league bench, Culberson could again be summoned for a short-term look at the MLB level. His versatility would make him a reasonable addition when rosters slightly expand in September, too.

Elledge, 27, was with the Braves in 2022 and opened the season in the organization this year. Atlanta designated him for assignment on April 8, and he’s since bounced to the Mets and Tigers on waivers before being designated in Detroit and electing free agency after clearing waivers.

In 23 1/3 career innings at the MLB level — all with the Cardinals — Elledge has a 4.63 ERA, 24% strikeout rate and 14.4% walk rate. In 2022, he posted a 3.88 ERA and gaudy 33.7% strikeout rate for the Braves’ Gwinnett affiliate, but he’s found rougher waters so far in 2023. Through 28 2/3 frames between the Triple-A affiliates of the Braves, Mets and Tigers, Elledge has been tagged for a 5.34 ERA. He’s had more success with the Braves’ Triple-A club than any other stop in his tour of the upper minors, so he’ll return to what’s seemingly a comfortable setting and look to build on that success with an eye toward a return to the big league roster.

Seth Elledge Elects Free Agency

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The Tigers announced that right-hander Seth Elledge has cleared waivers and elected free agency. He was designated for assignment earlier in the week when the club claimed left-hander Anthony Misiewicz off waivers from the Diamondbacks.

Elledge, 27, has filled up the transaction logs in the past few months. Atlanta added him to their roster in November but then designated him for assignment in April. He then went to the Mets and Tigers on subsequent waivers claims before getting the DFA treatment again a few days ago. Amid all those transactions, he’s managed to throw 28 2/3 Triple-A innings this year with a 5.34 ERA, striking out 21.9% of hitters but walking 13.3%.

The righty has a bit of major league experience, getting into 23 games for the Cardinals over 2020 and 2021. He had a 4.63 ERA in 23 1/3 innings in that time with a strong 24% strikeout rate but 14.4% walk rate. He was outrighted off the Cards’ roster after the 2021 season and signed a minor league deal with Atlanta for 2022. He tossed 46 1/3 Triple-A innings that year with a 3.88 ERA, 33.7% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate. That dip in walk rate is perhaps what got him a roster spot from Atlanta less than a year ago but the control problems seem to have returned here in 2023.

Since Elledge had that previous career outright in 2021, he had the right to reject another such assignment. He has now exercised that right and is free to sign with any club. Despite the problems with the free passes, he’s continued to rack up strikeouts and could market that to potential employers. With so many clubs around the league dealing with injuries, he’ll likely be able to find offers for minor league deals.

Tigers Claim Anthony Misiewicz, Designate Seth Elledge

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The Tigers announced that left-hander Anthony Misiewicz has been claimed off waivers from the Diamondbacks, and optioned to Triple-A.  In the corresponding move, Detroit designated right-hander Seth Elledge for assignment.

Misiewicz spent a few weeks on the injured list with a calf strain and was also shuttled up and down from Triple-A Reno several times, so it perhaps isn’t surprising that the southpaw struggled to a 5.63 ERA over eight innings and seven appearances with the D’Backs.  With the waiver claim, Misiewicz might now get some stability close to home — he was born in Detroit and played his college ball at Michigan State.

Pitching with the Diamondbacks, Royals, and Mariners over his four MLB seasons, Misiewicz has a 4.51 ERA over 111 2/3 career innings.  He isn’t a big strikeout pitcher (23.3 K%), and this difficult in missing bats has translated to some issues for the lefty, particularly since Misiewicz has a .332 career BABIP.

Elledge was claimed off waivers from the Mets last month, but his time in the Tigers organization has been spent entirely at Triple-A Toledo.  He posted a respectable 3.86 ERA over 14 innings in Toledo but it looks like the Tigers saw him as an expendable 40-man piece.  Another team might make a claim on Elledge, but if not, he’d have the right to reject an outright assignment off Detroit’s 40-man since he has already been outrighted in his career.

Tigers Claim Seth Elledge From Mets

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The Tigers announced that they have claimed right-hander Seth Elledge off waivers from the Mets and optioned him to Triple-A Toledo. The Mets had designated him for assignment on the weekend. In order to open a spot for Elledge on their 40-man roster, the Tigers transferred right-hander Beau Brieske to the 60-day injured list.

Elledge, who turns 27 on Saturday, has changed uniforms a few times in recent years. He got to the majors with the Cardinals in 2020 and 2021 but was outrighted at the end of that latter season and signed a minor league deal with Atlanta. He spent 2022 with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers and impressed enough to get added to Atlanta’s 40-man roster at season’s end. He was optioned to the minors again to start this year but was designated for assignment in early April, getting claimed by the Mets, who also put him on waivers about a month later.

Amid all of those roster moves, he’s made 10 Triple-A appearances on the year with a 6.75 ERA in 14 2/3 innings, striking out 21.1% of batters faced against a 14.1% walk rate. He was much better last year, posting a 3.88 ERA in a larger sample of 46 1/3 innings. He struck out 33.7% of opponents on the season while walking just 8.6%. Though he’s out to a slow start this year, it’s understandable why clubs keep finding roster room for him based on last year’s results and the fact that he still has a couple of options remaining. He also has that small bit of major league experience, tossing 23 1/3 innings for the Cards with a 4.63 ERA. The Tigers have a couple of relievers on the injured list in Freddy Pacheco and Trey Wingenter, so Elledge can head to Toledo to give them a bit of extra depth.

As for Brieske, he’s been on the injured list all year due to a right ulnar nerve entrapment and hasn’t even begun a rehab assignment. This move will make him ineligible to return until 60 days from his initial IL placement, which was March 27, meaning he could technically come back next week if he were healthy. But there’s nothing to indicate a return that soon is on the table, making this move a fairly inevitable formality.

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