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Zack Godley

Athletics, Zack Godley Agree To Minor League Deal

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The A’s have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Zack Godley, MLBTR has learned. He’d been pitching with the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the independent Atlantic League. He’s headed to Triple-A Las Vegas for the time being and will make his first start for the Aviators on Friday.

Godley, 33, hasn’t appeared in the big leagues since a brief look with the 2021 Brewers. The right-hander was a solid member of the Diamondbacks’ rotation back in 2017-18 when he tossed 333 innings of 4.10 ERA ball with an above-average 24.7% strikeout rate against a higher-than average 9.4% walk rate.

Though Godley looked to have locked down a spot at the back of the Arizona rotation with that performance, he struggled in three subsequent seasons, in part due to injury. He spent time on the injured list with a flexor strain in 2020 and finger injuries in 2021. Overall, in the three seasons following that nice run in ’17-’18, Godley limped to a 6.75 ERA in 124 innings at the big league level.

Since 2022, Godley has been pitching in the Atlantic League, where he’s amassed 125 2/3 innings of 4.73 ERA ball. It’s not an eye-catching number, but he’s posted nice strikeout and walks rates, fanning 28% of his opponents against a 7.8% walk rate.

For the A’s, adding any and all veteran rotation depth they can find makes sense. Oakland starters have MLB’s second-worst ERA this year, with their 6.37 mark narrowly leading the 30th-ranked Rockies (6.44). Left-hander JP Sears, who has a 3.99 ERA in 106 innings on the year, is the only A’s starter with an ERA under 5.00. Oakland also has James Kaprielian, Mason Miller and Drew Rucinski on the injured list — the latter two on the 60-day IL. Down in Triple-A, 40-man options include Kyle Muller and Adrian Martinez, but both have struggled in a hitter-friendly Vegas setting.

Godley will add some experienced depth to Oakland’s group and give them an option for a spot start or simply to eat some innings at the back of the big league staff if they’re concerned about potential workload management for younger arms in the season’s second half.

Zack Godley, Jairo Diaz, Nick Goody Sign With Atlantic League Teams

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Right-handers Zack Godley and Jairo Diaz have signed with the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League, per the league’s transactions log. That log also indicates that right-hander Nick Goody latched on with the Long Island Ducks yesterday. All three veteran righties have extensive Major League experience.

Godley, 32, has logged big league time in each of the past seven seasons — albeit just 3 1/3 frames with Milwaukee this past season. A solid mid-rotation arm for the D-backs in 2017-18 (4.10 ERA in 333 1/3 innings), Godley has struggled and dealt with injuries in recent years, most notably a flexor strain that ruined his 2020 season.

Since losing his grip on a rotation spot in Arizona, he’s pitched to a 6.75 ERA in 124 big league innings (2019-21). He posted solid minor league numbers with the Brewers’ top affiliate last year but was rocked for 20 earned runs with a 29-to-19 K/BB ratio in 22 1/3 innings with the Reds’ Triple-A club to begin the current season.

Diaz, 31, has three-plus years of big league service and 107 1/3 frames at the MLB level. He worked in some high-leverage roles as recently as 2019 with the Rockies, but Diaz had a notable velocity drop (97.2 mph to 95.3 mph) in 2020 and limped to a 7.65 ERA in 20 frames with Colorado. He remained with the club in 2021 but pitched only 9 1/3 minor league innings due to injury. Diaz briefly inked a minor league deal with the Mariners earlier this year, as reported by  the New York Post’s Jon Heyman at the time, but he didn’t end up throwing a pitch with a Mariners affiliate.

The 30-year-old Goody totaled 152 2/3 innings of work from 2015-20, enjoying his best years in Cleveland (2017, 2019). At his best, Goody was punching out about 30% of his opponents with a walk rate that was only slightly higher than the league average, but an elbow strain and a back injury slowed him in 2018-19. Goody was claimed off waivers by the 2020 Rangers but served up 11 runs in 11 innings with Texas that summer before being cut loose.

Goody split the 2021 season between the Triple-A affiliates for the Yankees — the organization that originally drafted him — and Nationals. He missed plenty of bats (29.6% strikeout rate) and posted a decent 9.0% walk rate, but Goody surrendered too many home runs (1.5 HR/9) and posted a pedestrian 4.53 ERA between those two stops. He’s spent the early postion of the 2022 season with los Acereros de Monclava of the Mexican League.

All three of Godley, Goody and Diaz have enough recent MLB experience that with some success on the indie circuit, they could jump back into affiliated ball as depth options in the season’s second half.

Reds, Zack Godley Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Reds have agreed to a minor league contract with veteran right-hander Zack Godley, reports Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). The team has not yet announced the deal, although the Sports Pro Services client will presumably be in big league camp whenever it’s up and running.

Godley, 31, was a regular on the D-backs’ staff from 2015-19, peaking with a 155 innings of 3.37 ERA ball during the 2017 season. From 2017-18, he was a consistent member of the Arizona rotation, compiling 333 1/3 innings of 4.10 ERA ball with a 24.7% strikeout rate, a 9.4% walk rate and a 51.6% grounder rate. He averaged just shy of six frames per outing in that time and looked to have more or less laid claim to a spot in the Diamondbacks’ rotation.

A disastrous 2019 season, however, saw Godley designated for assignment late in the year. After posting an ERA north of 6.00 in 76 fames with Arizona, Godley landed in Toronto and had a nice run out of the bullpen to close out the season. He’s since had brief stints with the Red Sox and Brewers, though his time in Boston was derailed by a flexor strain. He appeared in just two games with Milwaukee last season, allowing six runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Godley has a 4.92 ERA in 568 2/3 innings, though fielding-independent metrics are generally a bit more bullish (4.29 SIERA, 4.34 FIP). He also carries a career 3.85 ERA in 159 innings of Triple-A ball.

The Reds’ current rotation doesn’t offer a lot of opportunity beyond a potential shot at the fifth spot — not with Luis Castillo, Sonny Gray, Tyler Mahle and Vladimir Gutierrez all staking claim to starting jobs. However, Cincinnati is widely expected to listen to trade offers on each of Gray, Castillo and Mahle after GM Nick Krall spoke of a need to “align our payroll to our resources” early in the offseason. The Reds reportedly engaged in trade talks surrounding all three prior to the lockout (although it seems quite unlikely that the entire trio would be moved).

Even if a spot or two does open up in the Cincinnati rotation, Godley would face plenty of competition. Lefty Reiver Sanmartin had a big year in Double-A/Triple-A and fared well in his MLB debut late in 2021. Right-hander Riley O’Brien had a decent showing in Triple-A last year himself and is already on the 40-man roster. Top prospects Hunter Greene and Nick Lodolo are expected to have a chance at making their big league debuts this coming year as well, and the Reds have invited Ben Lively, Connor Overton and Brandon Bailey to Spring Training as well (although Bailey is still recovering from last February’s Tommy John surgery).

Mets Release Zack Godley

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The Mets have granted right-hander Zack Godley his release, MLBTR has learned. He’d been on a minor league contract and pitching with their affiliate in Triple-A Syracuse. He’s now a free agent and eligible to sign with another club for the final month of the season. Godley is the second veteran free agent cut loose by the Mets late in the month, as they also released Josh Reddick from their Syracuse affiliate just yesterday.

The Mets were the third organization of the 2021 campaign for the 31-year-old Godley. He opened the year in the Brewers system after signing a minor league deal and got a pair of brief looks in the Majors. He’s also spent time with the Indians this season, though Cleveland didn’t call him to the Majors.

Godley has been tagged for six runs in 3 1/3 big league innings this season and, generally speaking, has struggled in the Majors over the past few years. He was a solid member of the D-backs’ rotation from 2017-18, pitching to a 4.10 ERA with a 24.9 percent strikeout rate and a 9.4 percent walk rate through 333 1/3 innings (57 starts). However, the D-backs moved on after he limped to a 6.39 ERA through 76 frames for them in 2018. A brief run with the Blue Jays’ bullpen yielded solid results late in that season, but Godley allowed 26 runs through 28 2/3 innings with the Red Sox last summer before a season-ending IL placement due to a forearm strain.

It’s been a solid season in Triple-A for the veteran Godley, however, who has pitched to a 2.33 ERA in four starts with the Mets’ top affiliate and owns a season-long 3.56 ERA with a 22.1 percent strikeout rate and a 10.9 percent walk rate through 73 1/3 innings. Godley carries a 3.29 ERA in 134 career innings at the Triple-A level and a 4.92 ERA in 568 2/3 innings at the big league level.

Mets Sign Zack Godley To Minors Deal

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The Mets have signed right-hander Zack Godley to a minor league contract, according to Michael Mayer of the Metsmerized website (Twitter link).  Godley had been pitching in the Indians organization on a minor league deal but was released by the team earlier this week after he enacted an opt-out clause in the contract.

The signing represents something of a full circle moment for Godley, who was initially a 50th-round draft pick for the Mets in 2009 but he decided against signing and instead attended the University of Tennessee (and was a 10th-round pick for the Cubs in 2013).  Best known for his time as a workhorse in the Diamondbacks rotation in 2017-18, Godley ran into some injury problems and has since become a journeyman, beginning with a move to Toronto after the Blue Jays claimed him off the D’Backs roster in August 2019.

Since then, Godley has pitched for the Tigers, Red Sox, Brewers, and Indians organizations, tossing 28 2/3 MLB innings with Boston in 2020 and then only 3 1/3 innings for Milwaukee this year — over those 32 frames, Godley has a 9.00 ERA and a whopping 11 homers allowed.  At the Triple-A level this season, Godley has a more respectable 4.00 ERA over 54 combined innings with the Brewers’ and Indians’ top affiliates, but he has still surrendered nine home runs.

Godley is likely little more than a depth option for the Mets, though another call to the big leagues might not be out of the question considering how New York is still dealing with some major injury absences to its regular starting rotation.  The return of Carlos Carrasco and the acquisition of Rich Hill have stabilized things to some extent, but the Mets are still awaiting Noah Syndergaard’s return from Tommy John rehab and ace Jacob deGrom’s return date is still up in the air.

Indians To Sign Zack Godley

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The Indians are signing Zack Godley to a minor league contract, reports MLBTR’s Steve Adams (Twitter link). The veteran righty elected free agency after being designated for assignment by the Brewers last week.

Godley made a pair of appearances for Milwaukee this season, working a combined 3 1/3 innings of seven-run ball. He was far better with the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate in Nashville, where he pitched to a 2.40 ERA with a strong 28.6% strikeout rate across six appearances (five starts). He has the third-lowest ERA and thirteenth-highest strikeout percentage among the 94 Triple-A hurlers with at least 30 innings pitched this season.

A one-time solid mid-rotation starter with the Diamondbacks, Godley hasn’t found much success at the major league level over the past three years. Nevertheless, it’s easy to see the appeal for an Indians club that is particularly short-handed in the rotation at the moment. Shane Bieber, Zach Plesac and Aaron Civale are all on the injured list. That’s left the Indians with an unproven starting staff of Cal Quantrill, Sam Hentges, Eli Morgan, J.C. Mejia and Logan Allen.

Despite the injuries, Cleveland remains in the thick of the AL Central mix. The Indians trail the division-leading White Sox by two and a half games. In addition to Godley, Cleveland added veteran righty Brad Peacock on a minor league deal last week, and Plesac is getting closer to returning. The 26-year-old is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Akron tomorrow, Zack Meisel of the Athletic was among those to note.

Zack Godley Elects Free Agency

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Veteran right-hander Zack Godley went unclaimed on waivers and has elected free agency in lieu of an outright assignment, as first indicated on the Triple-A transaction log at MLB.com. The Brewers designated Godley for assignment earlier in the week.

Godley, 31, inked a minor league deal with Milwaukee earlier in the year and was twice selected to the big league roster. The right-hander sustained a finger injury in his first outing and landed on the injured list for just under two weeks — after which the Brewers designated him for assignment. Godley accepted an outright to Triple-A after that first DFA, but he’ll now head out in search of a new opportunity after once again being selected to the MLB roster only to be designated for assignment following a single appearance.

Godley certainly hasn’t been effective in his 3 1/3 innings with the Brewers this season, surrendering five earned runs, but he’s been sharp with their Triple-A affiliate. He’s thrown 30 innings down in Nashville and logged a 2.40 ERA with a strong 28.6 percent strikeout rate, a 10.1 percent walk rate and a 44.4 percent ground-ball rate.

At one point, Godley was a solid member of the D-backs’ staff, pitching to a 4.41 ERA with a 23.3 percent strikeout rate in 444 2/3 innings from 2015-18. That stretch featured the right-hander’s best season: a 2017 campaign in which he tossed 155 innings of 3.37 ERA ball. However, Godley took a step back in 2018 (4.74 ERA in 178 1/3 frames) and struggled even more in 2019 (6.39 ERA) before being cut loose by Arizona. He finished out the 2019 campaign with a decent stretch in the Blue Jays’ bullpen, but his hopes for a rebound in 2020 were largely dashed by a forearm strain that limited him to 28 2/3 innings with the Red Sox.

All told, Godley has a 4.92 ERA in 568 1/3 innings at the big league level and a 2.78 mark in 90 2/3 innings of Triple-A ball. At his best, he’s looked like a capable big league starter, but it’s been a few years since he’s displayed that form. He didn’t get much of a chance to do so in Milwaukee, but his track record and the widespread need for pitching depth around the league ought to earn him another look elsewhere.

Brewers Designate Zack Godley For Assignment

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The Brewers announced Monday that they’ve designated right-hander Zack Godley for assignment in order to create a spot on the roster for fellow right-hander Jake Cousins, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Nashville.

The veteran Godley has had a pair of stints with the Brewers this season but struggled in each — most recently yielding three runs in just a third of an inning at Coors Field. Godley’s production with Nashville in between MLB appearances was quite strong, as he pitched to a 2.40 ERA with a 34-to-12 K/BB ratio through 30 innings spent mostly as a starter.

Godley posted 333 1/3 innings of 4.10 ERA ball for the D-backs in 2017-18 but hasn’t managed to replicate those numbers since that time. He was hit hard to begin the 2019 season in Arizona, and while he rebounded with a solid showing out of the Jays’ bullpen late that year, his 2020 season was cut short by a season-ending flexor strain that likely contributed to last year’s poor results (8.16 ERA in 28 2/3 frames). It remains to be seen whether another club will take a chance on Godley via a small trade or a waiver claim, but the Brewers will surely be happy to hang onto the veteran pitching depth if he sticks with the organization.

As for the 26-year-old Cousins, he’ll be making his MLB debut the first time he takes the mound. The University of Pennsylvania product was a 20th-round pick by the Nats back in 2017 who landed with the Brewers in 2019 after being cut loose. He’s also spent time with a pair of independent clubs: the Frontier League’s Schaumburg Boomers and the American Association’s Chicago Dogs. Cousins has split the 2021 season between the Brewers’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates, where he’s pitched to a combined 2.55 ERA in 17 2/3 innings, with a huge 41.1 percent strikeout rate against a 6.8 percent walk rate.

Brewers Activate Kolten Wong, Select Zack Godley

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The Brewers announced they’ve activated second baseman Kolten Wong from the injured list and selected right-hander Zack Godley to the MLB roster. Utilityman Pablo Reyes and righty Eric Yardley were optioned to Triple-A Nashville in corresponding moves. To create space on the 40-man roster for Godley, Milwaukee designated infielder Jake Hager for assignment.

Wong went on the 10-day IL on June 4 with an oblique strain, his second stint of the season for that issue. As with his first IL trip, the strain proved to be relatively minor, as Wong returns after just two weeks out. That’s good news for the Brewers, since the offseason signee has hit .280/.343/.441 while playing strong defense in his first season with Milwaukee.

Godley makes his second appearance on the Brewers roster. The 31-year-old signed a minor league deal in March and was called up to make a spot start on April 27. Unfortunately, Godley suffered a right index finger contusion during that game and was forced out after just three innings.

Milwaukee designated him for assignment as soon as he was healthy enough to return from the injured list, but Godley accepted an outright assignment to Nashville upon clearing waivers. He’s pitched well in six appearances with the Sounds, working to a 2.40 ERA that ranks third-lowest among 37 Triple-A East pitchers with at least 30 innings. Godley’s struck out a strong 28.6% of opposing hitters in the minors this season while walking a slightly elevated 10.1%.

Hager spent the 2018-19 seasons in the Milwaukee system but signed with the Mets in 2020 as a minor league free agent. He got off to a torrid start with their Triple-A team in Syracuse this season, hitting .405/.436/.703 with three homers in 39 plate appearances. With the Mets reeling from a series of injuries last month, the 28-year-old very briefly cracked the major league roster, collecting one hit in eight at-bats. The Brewers claimed Hager off waivers shortly after and optioned him to Triple-A, but he hasn’t been able to build off his strong start at that level. Hager has hit just .211/.288/.394 across 80 trips to the plate with the Sounds. The Brewers will have a week to trade him or place him on outright waivers.

Additionally, Milwaukee announced that veteran infielder Logan Forsythe has been released from his minor league contract. The 34-year-old signed last month but only picked up 29 plate appearances in Nashville, partially due to a two-plus week absence to represent the United States in Olympic qualifiers. He’s now a free agent.

Zack Godley Accepts Outright Assignment With Brewers

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May 14: Godley has accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Nashville after clearing waivers, MLBTR has learned. He’ll remain with the club and look to position himself for another big league opportunity at some point down the line.

May 10: The Brewers announced this morning they’ve reinstated right-hander Zack Godley from the injured list and designated him for assignment. Godley had been out since April 29 with a right index finger contusion.

That injury knocked him out of action in the fourth inning of what may go down as his only start as a Brewer. Facing a rash of pitcher injuries, Milwaukee had selected Godley to the roster that afternoon as a fill-in spot starter. Unfortunately, he quickly wound up on the shelf himself and has now been removed from the 40-man.

It’s been a tough few years for Godley, who once looked like a potential rotation building block in Arizona. The 31-year-old has only managed a 5.48 ERA/4.57 FIP over the past three-plus seasons after tossing 155 innings of 3.37 ERA ball in 2017. He’s since bounced from the Diamondbacks to the Blue Jays to the Red Sox and Milwaukee but has yet to get back on track. The Brewers have a week to trade or waive Godley. Having already been outrighted in his career, he would have the right to elect free agency in lieu of any minor-league assignment if he clears waivers.

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