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Twins Designate Ronny Henriquez For Assignment

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The Twins announced that right-hander Ronny Henriquez has been designated for assignment. That opens a roster spot for the signings of outfielder Harrison Bader and left-hander Danny Coulombe, which are now official. The club opened another roster spot yesterday by trading utility player Michael Helman to the Cardinals.

Henriquez, 25 in June, has spent most of the past three years on the club’s roster. He came up as a Rangers prospect, getting added to that club’s 40-man roster in November of 2021, keeping him out of that year’s Rule 5 draft. Texas traded him to the Twins a few months later alongside infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa in the March 2022 deal to acquire catcher Mitch Garver. Henriquez spent 2022 and 2023 as a depth arm but was non-tendered after the latter of those two seasons. He re-signed on a minor league deal going into 2024 and was back on the 40-man in late April.

Over those three years, he didn’t get much major league action. He has 31 innings pitched at this point with a 2.90 earned run average in that small sample. His 18.2% strikeout rate is subpar but his 6.1% walk rate and 53.1% ground ball rate are both strong.

His numbers in the minors have been somewhat similar. A starter earlier in his career, the Twins have mostly kept him in a multi-inning relief role for the past two seasons. In 2024, he logged 55 innings over 34 Triple-A appearances with a 3.44 ERA, 24.9% strikeout rate, 7.2% walk rate and 53.8% ground ball rate.

Despite the decent results, Henriquez was likely running out of time on the roster. He exhausted his final option year in 2024, meaning the Twins would no longer be able to move him to Triple-A and back with such fluidity. As such, he got bumped off the roster today. Minnesota will now have a week of DFA limbo to figure out what’s next, whether that’s a trade or some fate on waivers. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so any trade talks would have to take place in the next five days.

Though the Twins couldn’t find room for him, it’s possible another club is willing to grab him. As recently as June, Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice of FanGraphs ranked Henriquez as the #27 prospect in the Twins’ system, suggesting he had a future as a decent middle reliever. If some club is willing to give him a roster spot now, he has less than a year of service time, meaning he comes with a possible six seasons of club control.

Twins Sign Danny Coulombe

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February 7: The Twins have now officially announced the Coulombe signing.

February 4, 9:49am: It’s a one-year major league deal that comes with a $3MM guarantee, reports Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Minnesota has a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move when the signing is finalized.

8:07am: The Twins have agreed to a deal with free agent left-hander Danny Coulombe, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The ALIGND Sports client’s contract is pending the completion of a physical. It’ll be the veteran reliever’s second stint in Minnesota.

Coulombe, 35, was with the Twins from 2020-22 and pitched quite well during that stretch. In 49 1/3 innings, he logged a 2.92 ERA while punching out 22% of opponents against a 9.3% walk rate. Those rate stats were both a bit worse than average, but Coulombe did a good job keeping the ball in the yard and avoiding hard contact during his original run in Minneapolis.

Despite that strong run and a big spring in 2023 (nine shutout innings, 13 strikeouts, four walks), the Twins somewhat surprisingly let Coulombe go to the Orioles. He’d been back in camp on a minor league contract, and rather than select him to the roster at the end of spring training, the Twins allowed Coulombe to use an upward mobility clause that granted him the ability to opt out of the contract if another club was willing to place him on the 40-man roster. Minnesota sent Coulombe to the O’s in exchange for cash, and the lefty gave Baltimore two excellent years in manager Brandon Hyde’s bullpen.

From 2023-24, Coulombe tossed 81 innings with a 2.56 earned run average. He showed greatly improved rate stats, fanning 28.4% of batters faced versus a tiny 5.4% walk rate. With the Orioles, Coulombe added a cutter, scaled back his usage of a four-seamer, scrapped his changeup and ramped up the usage of his sinker. It was a new-look pitch selection that’s helped him generate more whiffs and far more grounders. With a sinker sitting just under 92 mph, an 86 mph cutter and a 79 mph knuckle curve, Coulombe isn’t the prototypical power-armed reliever most clubs covet in today’s game, but the results in recent years speak for themselves.

Were it not for some elbow troubles last summer, there’s a good chance Coulombe might still be with Baltimore. The lefty underwent surgery in June to remove bone spurs from his left elbow — a procedure that shelved him until late September. He made it back to the mound and tossed 3 2/3 shutout innings with four strikeouts against two walks, adding a scoreless postseason appearance (two-thirds of an inning) for good measure. The Orioles, however, declined Coulombe’s $4MM club option and allowed him to become a free agent.

Coulombe will return to a bullpen that’s still sporting plenty of familiar faces for him, reuniting with Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Cole Sands and Jorge Alcala — all of whom pitched in the 2022 Twins’ relief corps. The Duran/Jax combo is one of the best one-two punches of any bullpen in the game, and the 27-year-old Sands had a breakout showing of his own in 2024, giving the Twins an outstanding trio of power arms who not only miss bats but show plus command.

One glaring area of need in the ’pen, however, was a reliable lefty. Kody Funderburk and Brent Headrick were the only southpaw relief options on the Twins’ 40-man roster. Neither has established himself in the majors yet. Minor league pickup/non-roster invitee Anthony Misiewicz gave the Twins another option but, like the other in-house candidates, lacks a consistent track record. Coulombe gives manager Rocco Baldelli at least one immediate left-handed option.

Duran, Jax, Sands, Alcala, Coulombe and out-of-options righties Brock Stewart and Michael Tonkin all appear like locks for the bullpen. Rule 5 pick Eiberson Castellano could make the club with a good spring showing, but the Twins are a win-now club in spite of a quiet offseason that’s seen them lie dormant amid payroll concerns and a potential sale of the team. Carrying a Rule 5 pick is tougher for a postseason hopeful, and Minnesota could opt to give that final ’pen spot to veteran Justin Topa (who has minor league options remaining) or out-of-options righty Ronny Henriquez if Castellano struggles during Grapefruit League play.

White Sox Claim Brandon Eisert, Designate Steven Wilson

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The White Sox announced Friday that they’ve claimed lefty Brandon Eisert off waivers from the Rays and designated right-hander Steven Wilson for assignment to clear space on the 40-man roster.

Eisert, 27, made his big league debut last season as a member of the Blue Jays — he’d previously gone from Toronto to Tampa Bay in a cash swap following a separate DFA — and allowed three runs in 6 2/3 innings. He spent the bulk of his season in Triple-A for a third straight year. Despite generally successful numbers there in seasons past, he didn’t get a big league look until 2024.

In three seasons with Triple-A Buffalo, Eisert posted a 3.83 ERA in 183 1/3 innings. The former 18th-round pick has set down 28.6% of Triple-A opponents on strikes against a tidy 7.9% walk rate. He’s consistently posted ground-ball rates between 42-44%, right around league-average, and allowed either 1.17 or 1.18 HR/9 in all three of those Triple-A campaigns. Eisert doesn’t throw hard, relying on a 90-92 mph heater as well as a slider and changeup that both fall in the 84-85 mph range. He’s consistently generated quality results in the upper minors, however, and has a pair of minor league option years remaining.

Wilson, 30, went from San Diego to Chicago as part of the Friars’ acquisition of Dylan Cease. He wasn’t a headline piece of the return by any means, but the Sox surely hoped that he could build off two solid seasons to begin his career as a member of the Padres’ bullpen. From 2022-23, Wilson totaled 106 innings of 3.48 ERA ball with a 25.4% strikeout rate, 10.9% walk rate, 1.19 HR/9, 27 holds and a save.

Things didn’t pan out as hoped. Wilson had multiple IL stints due to back strains, saw his fastball velocity dip from 94.5 mph to 93.4 mph on average, and served up eight homers in just 34 1/3 innings (2.08 HR/9). His 20.9% strikeout rate and 16% walk rate were both career-worst marks.

The Sox still tendered Wilson a contract after the season and came to terms on a $950K salary. That salary could now help him pass through waivers unclaimed, at which point the Sox could stash him in Triple-A. Wilson would have the right to reject an outright assignment to the minors in favor of free agency, but he’d have to walk away from his contract in order to do so. He’ll likely accept an assignment if it comes to that.

For the time being, the Sox will have five days to trade Wilson. At that point, he’ll need to be placed on outright waivers (a 48-hour process) if he’s to have his DFA resolved within the allotted one-week timeframe.

White Sox Outright Zach DeLoach

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The White Sox announced Friday that outfielder Zach DeLoach cleared waivers and has been assigned outright to Triple-A Charlotte. He’ll remain with the organization as non-roster depth heading into spring training.

Acquired alongside righty Prelander Berroa and a competitive balance (Round B) draft pick in the trade sending Gregory Santos to the Mariners last offseason, DeLoach made his big league debut with the ChiSox last year but struggled in a small sample. He tallied 75 trips to the plate and managed only a .209/.293/.283 output. He was far better in Triple-A, slashing .287/.375/.410, but even that production represented a downturn from his 2023 levels with Seattle’s Triple-A club. DeLoach popped a career-high 23 homers in 2023 but saw that number plummet to seven in 2024.

DeLoach runs well, has experience in all three outfield slots and draws plenty of walks. He’s also been plagued by strikeout issues and is better suited for work in the corners — left field, specifically — than in center. Now that he’s passed through waivers, he’ll likely compete for a backup job in camp and will otherwise head to Charlotte to begin the season.

Chicago’s outfield mix is a mess and only figures to see further turnover, with Luis Robert Jr. standing as a clear trade candidate so long as he’s healthy. (And, if he’s not, that’ll only open more need in the outfield.) Andrew Benintendi and Mike Tauchman will begin the year in the corners, with Austin Slater locked into a fourth outfielder role. Other outfield candidates on the roster include Oscar Colas and Dominic Fletcher, while Corey Julks and Calvin Mitchell will join DeLoach as non-roster invitees to spring training.

Tigers Designate Mason Englert For Assignment

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The Tigers have designated right-hander Mason Englert for assignment, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. He’s the corresponding move for Detroit’s re-signing of Jack Flaherty on a two-year deal, which the team agreed to earlier in the week and formally announced this morning.

Englert, 25, came to the Tigers as a Rule 5 pick out of the Rangers’ system back in 2022. He stuck on the big league roster all season in 2023 in a seldom-used long relief role. He appeared in only 31 of Detroit’s games that season and was roughed up for a 5.46 ERA. His results didn’t improve in 21 2/3 big league innings last year. The righty yielded a 5.40 ERA with very similar strikeout, walk, ground-ball and home run rates.

Though Englert has been hit hard in his 77 2/3 big league frames, he was excellent in the minors last year. The Tigers moved him to more of a short relief role, and in 41 2/3 Triple-A innings, Englert turned in a very strong 3.08 ERA with a massive 35.3% strikeout rate, an 8.2% walk rate and a 49.5% ground-ball rate. At a time when power arms are particularly en vogue, Englert’s 92.7 mph average on his four-seamer isn’t going to garner massive fanfare, but the results in the minors stand out nevertheless.

Add in that Englert still has two minor league option years remaining, and it seems like there’s a good chance another club’s interest could be piqued on a minor trade — or at the very least on a waiver claim. Englert’s blend of strikeouts, command and grounders in Triple-A last year is a general recipe for success. That he’s the roster casualty for Flaherty’s return speaks to the level in which the Tigers’ overall 40-man roster has deepened. It’s true that he lacks big league success, but his recent Triple-A work is far more interesting than that of most players who find themselves on the wrong end of a DFA. Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris seems to agree; asked during today’s media availability about the decision to designate Englert, he replied:

“I would love to keep him. I don’t know that we’re going to be able to. … I think Mason has really grown up as a pitcher since we drafted him in the Rule 5. He’s able to move his (pitch) shapes all around the zone. He’s very confident on the mound, and he is comfortable in any situation, so if we can find a way to keep him, I would love to keep him. I just don’t know that we’re going to be able to, because I imagine there’ll be interest around the league on him.”

The Tigers will have five days to work out a trade of Englert. After that, he’ll need to be placed on waivers (a 48-hour process) in order for his DFA to be resolved within the allotted window of one week.

Royals Sign Thomas Hatch To Minor League Deal

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The Royals announced Friday that they’ve signed righty Thomas Hatch to a minor league deal. The Moye Sports client will be in major league camp as a non-roster invitee this spring.

Hatch, 30, originally agreed to a one-year deal with the Korea Baseball Organization’s Doosan Bears back in November, but that deal fell through after the Bears raised some concerns about the right-hander’s physical. Since the Royals announced this deal, he’s already passed a physical with Kansas City.

Hatch spent the 2024 season with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball but logged more time with their farm team (72 1/3 innings) than their big league club (22 innings). He struggled in his brief run with the Carp, yielding 18 runs with an 18-to-10 K/BB ratio and five homers allowed in those 22 frames.

From 2020-23, Hatch pitched at least one major league game per season. He totaled 69 innings between the Blue Jays and Pirates, logging a 4.96 ERA with a 19.7% strikeout rate, 10.7% walk rate, 46.9% ground-ball rate and 1.17 homers per nine innings. A disproportionate amount of his struggles came in his lone 2022 appearance; the Jays left him on the hill to take his lumps in a blowout where he clearly didn’t have his best stuff, and he was torched for 10 runs in 4 2/3 innings. Any pitcher looks better if you’re setting aside his worst outing, but that one nightmarish performance balloons Hatch’s career ERA from 3.92 in 38 other appearances to its current 4.96 mark.

Hatch has pitched in parts of three Triple-A seasons and sports a 4.49 ERA in 242 1/3 innings there. He’s worked both as a starter and a reliever in the upper minors and in the majors as well. That could put him in competition to win a swingman role with the Royals, or he could simply be ticketed for Triple-A Omaha to serve as rotation depth.

At the moment, Kansas City’s rotation is quite full — even after trading Brady Singer to acquire Jonathan India from the Reds earlier this winter. Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Michael Lorenzen give K.C. an experienced quartet on which to lean. The Royals are moving lefty Kris Bubic from the bullpen (where he thrived in 2024 as he returned from Tommy John surgery) back to his more typical rotation role in 2025. Righty Alec Marsh (4.53 ERA in 129 innings last year) gives them a sixth candidate, though he has a minor league option remaining. Kyle Wright, returning from 2023 shoulder surgery, is another option. Daniel Lynch IV, Jonathan Bowlan, Noah Cameron and Luinder Avila are all on the 40-man roster as well, but Lynch is the only one of the bunch with any MLB experience of note.

Tigers Sign Jack Flaherty

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Feb. 7: The Tigers have formally announced Flaherty’s two-year deal.

Feb. 2: Jack Flaherty is returning to the Motor City, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan (multiple links) reports that the right-hander has signed a two-year deal with the Tigers worth $35MM in guaranteed money.  The frontloaded deal pays Flaherty $25MM in 2025, and he can opt out of the second year of the contract this fall to re-enter free agency.  Flaherty will earn at least $10MM in 2026, though he can unlock up to an additional $10MM in incentive bonuses if he makes 15 starts this season.  The deal will become official once Flaherty passes a physical, and the right-hander is represented by CAA Sports.

The new contract is a healthy increase over the one-year, $14MM deal Flaherty signed with Detroit in December 2023, as the righty was looking to rebuild his value after a few injury-marred and inconsistent seasons with the Cardinals and Orioles.  Flaherty got himself back on track in impressive fashion, delivering a 2.95 ERA over 18 starts and 106 2/3 innings for the Tigers before he was dealt to the Dodgers at the trade deadline.

Now pitching for his hometown team, Flaherty had a 3.58 ERA in 55 1/3 regular-season innings for L.A. and had a couple of big moments in the playoffs, most notably seven shutout innings against the Mets in Game 1 of the NLCS.  After capturing his first World Series ring, Flaherty headed into the open market in search of a lucrative long-term deal, bolstered by his 2024 production and unencumbered by a qualifying offer.

MLBTR rated Flaherty eighth on our list of the winter’s top 50 free agents, projecting that he’d land a five-year, $115MM contract as he entered his age-29 season.  Even as other pitchers exceeded salary expectations, Flaherty’s market remained relatively cold, and he said in an interview on the Foul Territory podcast just over a week ago that he had received little in the way of formal contract offers.  A couple of weeks ago, reports suggested that Flaherty was open to the type of shorter-term deal with an opt-out that he ended up signing for his second stint in a Tigers uniform.

The Mets, Cubs, Red Sox, Giants, Blue Jays, and Orioles were all linked to Flaherty at various points during the offseason, and reports of Detroit’s interest in a reunion first surfaced back in early December.  Flaherty noted during his Foul Territory interview that he “wanted to stay in Detroit” before the deadline trade, and “loved” his previous time with the team, particularly pitching alongside Tarik Skubal in the rotation.

It could be that Flaherty lingered this long on the open market because teams wanted to see more than just his 2024 season before being sold on a longer-term commitment.  Injury concerns may have been a factor, as the Yankees pulled out of a planned deal to acquire Flaherty at the deadline after looking at his medical records.  Apart from one skipped start due to a bad back, Flaherty was otherwise pretty healthy in 2024, avoiding the injured list and tossing 184 combined innings during the regular season and postseason.  His average fastball velocity was a modest 93.3mph, however, and he lost some velo later in the season after the trade.

Looking elsewhere on the Statcast page, Flaherty posted an excellent 29.9% strikeout rate and 5.9% walk rate, along with strong hard-contact and chase rates to go along with his 3.17 combined ERA with Detroit and Los Angeles.  It was the kind of form that Flaherty hadn’t shown over a full season since 2019, when he finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting while pitching with the Cardinals.

It is relatively uncommon to see a player get dealt by a team at the trade deadline and then re-sign with that same team the following offseason, yet the way this scenario played out, the Tigers’ decision to move Flaherty couldn’t have worked out much better.  Detroit received prospects Trey Sweeney and Thayron Liranzo from the Dodgers, and Sweeney already made an impact by becoming the Tigers’ regular shortstop down the stretch.  Unlike most deadline sellers, the Tigers caught fire late in the season and made an improbable playoff run, going 31-13 over their last 44 games to win a wild card berth, and Detroit then upset the Astros in the Wild Card Series before taking the Guardians to the full five games in the ALDS.

After relying on the “pitching chaos” strategy for much of that run, the Tigers’ rotation looks a lot more stable heading into 2025.  Flaherty and fellow new signing Alex Cobb join Skubal, Reese Olson as pitchers with set rotation spots, and the list of fifth starter candidates includes the likes of Kenta Maeda, Casey Mize, Jackson Jobe and Matt Manning.  Detroit might well keep this entire group to guard against injuries, but there’s enough depth here that the Tigers could consider trading a starter to address another primary need, like relief pitching or a right-handed bat.

Among Detroit’s primary free agent signings this winter, Cobb, Gleyber Torres, and Tommy Kahnle all signed one-year contracts and Flaherty’s deal might also end up as a one-year pact should he exercise his opt-out clause.  Even if Flaherty passes on his opt-out, all these signings fit president of baseball operations Scott Harris’ preferred model of shorter-term contracts.  This isn’t to say that the Tigers haven’t at least explored longer-term deals (i.e. their ongoing pursuit of Alex Bregman), but focusing on just short-term upgrades has allowed the club to keep its financial powder dry for a bigger splash in the future.  Flaherty, Colt Keith, and Javier Baez are the only Tigers players guaranteed money beyond the 2025 season.

While naturally Flaherty would’ve preferred to have locked down a pricey long-term deal already, another quality season will surely line up nicely for such a contract next winter, even if a full year with the Tigers would make him eligible for a qualifying offer.  In the interim, he’ll bank at least a $25MM payday, and pitch in a comfortable and familiar environment on what looks to be a contending team.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Nationals Sign Colin Poche To Minor League Deal

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The Nationals announced Friday that they’ve signed left-handed reliever Colin Poche to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training. He was non-tendered by the Rays earlier in the winter.

Poche, 31, has spent his entire big league career with the Rays to this point. He’s pitched in parts of four seasons, logging a collective 3.63 ERA with a sharp 27% strikeout rate, a 9.2% walk rate and a 30% ground-ball rate. His best season came in 2023, when he tossed 60 1/3 innings of 2.23 ERA ball while fanning about one-quarter of his opponents and issuing walks at a 9.8% clip.

Strong as Poche’s track record is, the 2024 season clearly wasn’t his best. He spent time on the injured list due to back and shoulder troubles, ultimately pitching only 37 1/3 innings. Poche’s 3.86 ERA was still solid, but his 21.6% strikeout rate was a career-low mark, while his 1.69 HR/9 rate was the highest of his career.

Poche’s four-seam fastball, which averaged 92.9 mph in his first three big league seasons, sat at just 91.2 mph in 2024, further suggesting that he wasn’t right physically. His slider was down about 1.5 mph from peak velocity, too, sitting at an average of 83.1 mph. Unsurprisingly, given the reduced stuff, he allowed more contact, recorded a career-low swinging-strike rate and saw opponents produce career-best exit velocity and hard-hit rates against him. The always cost-conscious Rays opted to move on a year early rather than pay Poche a projected $3.4MM salary in his final season of club control.

If Poche is back to full strength, he should have a good chance to not only make the Nationals’ bullpen but pitch in a key role. He’s been a high-leverage setup man for Kevin Cash in Tampa Bay throughout his career, logging 81 holds and a dozen saves in 225 career appearances (208 1/3 innings). Washington’s bullpen is lacking in experienced lefties — and, more broadly, just experienced relievers in general. Jorge Lopez and Derek Law are the only two Nats relievers with even two years of MLB service. Only one other, Jose A. Ferrer, even has one full year of service time.

Cardinals Acquire Michael Helman From Twins

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The Twins announced that they’ve traded utility player Michael Helman to the Cardinals for cash. He’ll occupy a 40-man roster spot with St. Louis. The Cardinals had a vacancy, so no additional move was necessary.

Minnesota had a full 40-man roster and needed to create two openings. They have agreed to free agent deals with Harrison Bader and Danny Coulombe this week. Neither contract has been finalized. Helman is the first of two players whom the Twins will squeeze off the roster.

An 11th-round pick in 2018, Helman reached the majors last year. He appeared in nine games and went 3-10 with a pair of doubles. The 28-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A St. Paul. He had a nice year, hitting .271/.350/.487 across 314 plate appearances. Helman hit 14 home runs and went 12-13 on stolen base attempts.

Helman is a right-handed batter who provides multi-positional versatility. He has played more than 1400 innings at second base in his minor league career. He has logged more than 1000 innings in the outfield — much of that in center — with some action at both positions on the left side of the infield. Helman still has a full slate of minor league options and can be kept at Triple-A Memphis for the foreseeable future.

This is the Cardinals’ first trade acquisition of the offseason. St. Louis is also the only team that has yet to sign a free agent to a major league deal. Helman is the third player they’ve added to their 40-man roster since the end of the season. Waiver pickups Roddery Muñoz and Bailey Horn are depth additions on the pitching side. Ownership has seemingly left the front office with minimal spending room in the absence of a payroll-clearing trade.

Katie Woo of The Athletic reported the Helman trade just before the official announcement.

Braves, Chad Kuhl Agree To Minor League Deal

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Right-hander Chad Kuhl and the Braves have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. The ACES client will presumably be in major league camp as a non-roster invitee.

Kuhl, 32, was once a passable back-end starter but has slid into more of a swingman/long relief role in recent years. He spent 2024 with the White Sox, pitching out of their Triple-A rotation for the first half of the year. He was selected to the big league club in June and mostly tossed multi-inning stints out of the bullpen. He logged 53 1/3 innings over 31 appearances, including one start. He allowed 5.06 earned runs per nine, struck out 22.5% of batters faced, gave out walks at a 10.4% clip and got grounders on 44.4% of balls in play.

The best stretch of his career was with the Pirates. From 2016 to 2021, he logged 439 2/3 innings for Pittsburgh with a 4.44 ERA, 20.8% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate. He signed with the Rockies for the 2022 season and saw his ERA jump to 5.72. 2023 was an especially trying year. A minor league deal with the Nationals led to a roster spot but he battled a foot injury and posted an 8.45 ERA over 16 appearances in a swing role. He was released in June and didn’t sign anywhere after that so that he could be with his wife as she battled breast cancer, with her treatment coming to an end in November.

His year with the White Sox got him back on track somewhat, as his major league numbers were passable. He also posted a 4.34 ERA in Triple-A prior to getting called up. His 17.3% strikeout rate and 13.6% walk rate with Charlotte were both subpar numbers but he got opponents to pound the ball into the ground at a 53.5% rate.

With Atlanta, Kuhl will jump into a fairly crowded depth mix. The club has Chris Sale, Reynaldo López and Spencer Schwellenbach leading the rotation, with Spencer Strider set to join them once he has recovered from last year’s elbow surgery. The chart behind those four includes Ian Anderson, Grant Holmes, Dylan Dodd, AJ Smith-Shawver, Hurston Waldrep, Bryce Elder and Davis Daniel, who are all on the 40-man roster.

Atlanta may prefer to keep those guys in Triple-A and getting regular starts, so perhaps that will allow Kuhl to carve out a role as a veteran innings-eater in the bullpen if they need a long man at some point during the season.

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