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Ryan Weber

Mariners Claim Ryan Weber Off Waivers From Brewers

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The Mariners have claimed Ryan Weber off waivers from the Brewers, the two clubs announced. Milwaukee designated Weber for assignment earlier this week after acquiring Kyle Lobstein from the Nationals. To create 40-man roster space, Seattle designated infielder Wyatt Mathisen for assignment.

Weber’s stay in Milwaukee proved quite brief. The Brew Crew added him off waivers from the Red Sox last month, and he ultimately made just a single appearance with the team. He also pitched in one major league game with Boston, but the majority of his experience this season has come at the minors’ highest level.

Between the Red Sox’s and Brewers’ top affiliates, Weber has made nine appearances (eight starts) in Triple-A this year, working to a 5.02 ERA with an average 23.5% strikeout percentage and a strong 6.0% walk rate. The right-hander has been quite good at that level over the course of his career. In parts of six Triple-A seasons, he’s pitched to a stingy 3.08 ERA, striking out hitters at a below-average rate (17.1%) but rarely doling out free passes (5.2% walk percentage) and inducing plenty of groundballs.

To date, he hasn’t carried that success over to the major league level. While Weber’s racked up grounders at a lofty 52.8% clip over his 61 MLB appearances, he’s only managed a 5.27 ERA/4.30 SIERA thanks to a lack of missed bats. Still, the 30-year-old is capable of working as a starter or multi-inning reliever, and he can be optioned for the remainder of the season. So long as he sticks on the 40-man roster, Weber will give the Mariners front office a flexible depth option for the pitching staff.

Seattle acquired Mathisen from the Rays for cash considerations last month. He’s spent his entire Mariners tenure at Triple-A Tacoma, where he’s slumped to a .122/.302/.184 line across 63 plate appearances. That belies a generally strong track record at that level. Mathisen has hit a much better .258/.362/.491 over parts of three Triple-A seasons, but he hasn’t performed well in a brief big league look comprising 84 plate appearances between 2020-21.

The Mariners will have a week to trade Mathisen or expose him to waivers. He’s already been in DFA limbo twice this season — first with the Diamondbacks and then with Tampa Bay — and been acquired by a rival club each time. It wouldn’t be surprising if another team picks him up via small trade or waiver claim, although his most recent struggles with the Rainiers could dissuade clubs from devoting him a 40-man roster spot.

Brewers Acquire Kyle Lobstein From Nationals

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The Brewers announced they’ve acquired left-hander Kyle Lobstein from the Nationals in exchange for cash considerations. He’s been optioned to Triple-A Nashville. To create space on the 40-man roster, righty Ryan Weber was designated for assignment. Additionally, Milwaukee announced that infielder Daniel Robertson has passed through outright waivers.

Washington selected Lobstein to the roster late last month, marking his first major league action in five years. The 31-year-old made three appearances totaling 1 1/3 innings before the Nats designated him for assignment last weekend. Prior to his promotion, Lobstein had spent the year with Triple-A Rochester, where he impressively tossed 21 1/3 innings of 1.69 ERA ball, striking out a lofty 29.8% of opposing hitters against an average 9.5% walk rate.

That performance evidently intrigued the Milwaukee front office, which also has Brent Suter, Aaron Ashby, Hoby Milner and Angel Perdomo as left-handed options behind relief ace Josh Hader. Lobstein is in his final option year, so he can be shuttled between Milwaukee and Nashville for the remainder of the season if he sticks on the 40-man roster.

Milwaukee claimed Weber off waivers from the Red Sox a little more than a month ago. He’s made just one appearance with the Brewers, tossing a scoreless inning of relief against the Rockies. Weber has spent more of the year at Triple-A, pitching to a 5.02 ERA with an average 23.5% strikeout rate and a stingy 6% walk percentage over 43 frames split between Boston’s and Milwaukee’s affiliates. He’s appeared in the big leagues for five teams over the past seven seasons, compiling a 5.27 ERA/4.30 SIERA at the highest level. Milwaukee will have a week to trade Weber or place him on waivers.

The Brewers signed Robertson to a one-year, $900K deal over the offseason. The right-handed hitting utiltityman didn’t produce much in a limited look, though, hitting just .164/.303/.274 across 90 plate appearances before being designated for assignment last week. As a player with between three and five years of MLB service time, Robertson has the right to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency. Doing so would mean forfeiting the remainder of his guaranteed salary, though, so he seems likelier to report to Nashville and hope to play his way back onto the big league roster before the end of the year.

Brewers Claim Ryan Weber

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The Brewers have claimed Ryan Weber off waivers from the Red Sox, and assigned the right-hander to Triple-A.  In another move, the Brewers also announced that right-hander Chad Sobotka was outrighted to Triple-A.

Weber was designated for assignment two days ago by the Red Sox, following a single appearance that saw Weber allow 11 runs to the Blue Jays in 5 2/3 innings of mop-up duty.  It was an ugly end to a three-year tenure in Boston for Weber, who posted a 5.54 ERA over 89 1/3 innings with the Red Sox, starting eight of his 36 games.

Weber’s ability to work as a swingman or multi-inning reliever clearly intrigued the Brewers enough to make a claim.  Weber does have only a career 5.30 ERA, and his low (15.1%) strikeout rate makes him something of an outlier on a Milwaukee pitching staff that tends to favor hurlers who miss a lot of bats.  However, Weber’s 52.3% groundball rate over 163 career innings fits right into a Brewers team with a cumulative 45.6% grounder rate this season, tied for the fifth-best rate of any pitching unit in baseball.

Sobotka came to Milwaukee from Atlanta as part of the Orlando Arcia trade in early April.  Sobotka has yet to see any big league action with his new club, and the right-hander has only pitched 3 2/3 innings for Triple-A Nashville due to a sinus infection.  Sobotka has a 5.36 ERA/4.22 SIERA, 28.8% strikeout rate, and 14.2% walk rate over 47 career innings with the Braves from 2018-20.

Red Sox Designate Ryan Weber For Assignment

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The Red Sox have designated right-hander Ryan Weber for assignment, manager Alex Cora told MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and other reporters.  Michael Chavis has been called up from Triple-A to take Weber’s spot on the active roster.

Weber’s contract was only just selected from Triple-A yesterday, and his lone appearance for the Sox ended up being a nightmare.  Called into the game after starter Martin Perez was chased in the second inning, Weber was left to soak up innings in mop-up duty, and he allowed 11 runs over 5 2/3 innings in Boston’s 18-4 loss to the Blue Jays.

Now in his third season with the Red Sox, Weber posted a 4.73 ERA/4.66 SIERA over 83 2/3 innings in 2019-20.  Weber is something of a groundball specialist, with a 52.3% grounder rate over his 163 career frames in the majors and only a 15.1% strikeout rate.  He is versatile enough to work as a proper starting pitcher or as a multi-inning swingman type, though with limited effectiveness (Weber has a 5.30 career ERA).

Chavis has been shuttled back and forth a few times this season between Boston’s MLB roster and either the alternate training site or Triple-A Worcester.  Chavis has hit .273/.273/.485 in 33 plate appearances this season, as the former top prospect is still trying to establish himself at the big league level.  He’ll factor into Boston’s bench mix, and some playing time at first base could open up if Bobby Dalbec continues to struggle (though Dalbec has been looking a bit better over his last four games).

Red Sox Select Ryan Weber, Designate Brandon Brennan

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The Red Sox announced they’re selecting the contract of right-hander Ryan Weber. Fellow righty Brandon Brennan has been designated for assignment to open active and 40-man roster space.

Weber makes his return to Boston, where he saw big league action in 2019-20. The sinkerballer pitched to a 4.73 ERA/4.89 FIP in 83 2/3 innings over that time. Weber doesn’t miss many bats, striking out a minuscule 15.3% of opponents with the Red Sox. He’s thrown plenty of strikes and kept the ball on the ground at an above-average clip, though. Weber was outrighted off the roster last offseason and began this year with Triple-A Worcester. He’s made seven appearances (six starts) with Worcester, managing a 4.63 ERA with a 22.4% strikeout rate and solid 6.8% walk rate.

The Sox claimed Brennan off waivers from the Mariners in early May. He spent his first month in the organization at Worcester, tossing 8 1/3 frames of two-run ball. Brennan struck out eleven against five walks at Triple-A, earning him a call-up yesterday. The 29-year-old worked three scoreless innings out of the bullpen in last night’s loss to the Blue Jays. Unfortunately for Brennan, his 42-pitch workload took him out of commission for the next day or two. The Red Sox ultimately decided to bring in a fresher arm in his place.

Boston will have a week to trade Brennan or place him on outright waivers. He still has all three minor league option years remaining, so it wouldn’t be a surprise to see another club bring him in. A former Rule 5 draftee, Brennan has a 4.21 ERA/4.61 SIERA over 57 2/3 MLB innings.

Red Sox Claim Joel Payamps, Designate Robert Stock

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The Red Sox announced Wednesday that they’ve claimed right-hander Joel Payamps off waivers from the D-backs and designated fellow righty Robert Stock for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster. Boston also announced that right-hander Ryan Weber and southpaw Matt Hall, both of whom were designated for assignment last Friday, were assigned to Triple-A Pawtucket after clearing outright waivers.

Payamps, 26, has just seven Major League innings under his belt. He’s struggled in a hitter-friendly setting with Triple-A Reno in the Pacific Coast League but was solid in Double-A Jackson in both 2018 and 2019, working to a combined 2.95 ERA with a 135-to-19 K/BB ratio in 128 innings. Payamps has worked as both a starter and a reliever in the minors, and he has a minor league option remaining for the upcoming 2021 season, which surely appeals to the Sox.

Stock, 31, has a big fastball and punched out 14 hitters in 13 1/3 innings with the Red Sox this past season, but he’s battled control issues throughout his MLB career (31 walks, three hit batters, 10 wild pitches in 63 2/3 frames).

The Red Sox gave the journeyman Weber a rotation opportunity in 2020 and held out hopes that he could elevate his game to a new level with some tweaks to his repertoire. However, while Weber managed a respectable 4.40 ERA in 43 innings of work, he also posted a lackluster 27-to-14 K/BB ratio and a 5.54 FIP. Hall was acquired out of the Tigers organization and drew some intrigue for the huge spin on his breaking ball, but he also struggled in a more limited sample with the Red Sox. Both were designated for assignment last Friday as the Sox set their roster in advance of next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

Red Sox Add 7 Players To 40-Man Roster; Weber, Hall Designated For Assignment

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The Red Sox designated lefty Matt Hall and righty Ryan Weber for assignment Friday afternoon, per a club announcement. Additionally, southpaw Kyle Hart cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Pawtucket.

Those three moves helped clear space for the team to select seven players to the MLB roster: catcher/infielder Connor Wong, right-hander Eduard Bazardo, third baseman Hudson Potts, righty Bryan Mata, righty Connor Seabold, outfielder Jeisson Rosario and lefty Jay Groome. All seven are now shielded from being selected in next month’s Rule 5 Draft.

It’s something of an indictment on Boston’s 2020 pitching staff that Weber, who ranked third on the team in innings pitched, was immediately cut loose. Both Hart and Hall started games for the Sox in 2020 as well. The team’s leader in innings pitched, Martin Perez, had his option bought out at season’s end.

Ownership might not have wanted to publicly acknowledge that the team punted the 2020 season, but the nature of the moves involving the team’s 2020 pitching staff speak for themselves. This club was always a long shot to contend in a deep AL East, although certainly the injury to Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez’s unsettling bout with myocarditis after a Covid-19 battle didn’t help their cause. A lack of depth was always plain to see, however, and this club long looked ill-prepared to deal with inevitable injury troubles that virtually all teams encounter.

Mata, 21, has climbed as high as Double-A and has long been considered one of the organization’s better young arms. Groome probably needs some development time after injuries have slowed the former first-rounder’s career.

Several of today’s names have been added to the system via high-profile trades across the past 12 months. The 24-year-old Wong has also played in Double-A, and as one of the pieces received in the Mookie Betts/David Price blockbuster, is someone the team has high hopes for in the future. Potts is a 2016 first-rounder of the Padres who came over in the Mitch Moreland swap and has also reached the Double-A level. Rosario also landed in Boston via that swap, though he’s further from the Majors having not yet played beyond Class-A Advanced. Seabold could get a look in the rotation as soon as 2021 after coming over from the Phillies in the Brandon Workman/Heath Hembree trade.

Red Sox Place Andrew Benintendi On Injured List

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9:45pm: Benintendi will probably miss more than 10 days, manager Ron Roenicke told Alex Speier of the Boston Globe and other reporters.

6:56pm: The Red Sox have placed left fielder Andrew Benintendi on the 10-day injured list with a right rib cage strain, per a team announcement. The club recalled right-hander Ryan Weber from its alternate training site in a corresponding move.

Benintendi’s IL placement continues what has been an abysmal start to 2020 for the typically sturdy producer. A former star prospect, the 25-year-old Benintendi combined for a line of .277/.354/.442 (109 wRC+) with 51 home runs, 52 steals and 9.0 fWAR in 2,052 plate appearances. So far this season, though, Benintendi has failed to hit a homer and batted an unsightly .103/.314/.128 (47 wRC+) across 52 PA, owing in part to a 32.4 percent strikeout rate that sits 13-plus percent above his lifetime figure. Benintendi has also seen his hard-contact rate plummet, and while he has never been a major power threat, his paltry .026 ISO represents a sharp decline and ranks third to last among 169 hitters who have racked up at least 50 trips to the plate.

Thanks in part to Benintendi’s drop-off, the Red Sox have opened 2020 at 6-11 – good for last in the AL East. They figure to go with a regular outfield alignment of Kevin Pillar, Jackie Bradley Jr. and Alex Verdugo while Benintendi’s unavailable. Pillar and Verdugo have been fairly productive so far, though Bradley has joined Benintendi in coming out of the gates slowly.

Red Sox Option Ryan Weber, Call Up Dylan Covey

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The Red Sox have optioned right-hander Ryan Weber to their alternate training site, as per a team announcement.  Recently-acquired righty Dylan Covey has been called up to take Weber’s spot on the MLB roster.

The 2020 season has been a struggle for Weber, who has a 9.90 ERA over three starts and only 10 innings pitched.  Weber has allowed five home runs over that brief sample size, as well as nine walks and only three strikeouts.  Clearly the Sox had been enough to continue with Weber as a starting pitcher, as strapped as Boston is for arms.

It was due to this pitching shortage that Weber found himself in the rotation in the first place, after working as a reliever for 31 of his 42 Major League appearances prior to this season.  Weber had only a 5.04 ERA and 5.7 K/9 through 114 1/3 innings from 2015-19, though his strong ability to generate grounders and limit hard contact gave the Red Sox some hope that he could at least tread water as a regular starter.  Weber’s grounder rate is down to only 40% this season, however, and opposing batters are teeing off to the tune of a 54.8% hard-hit ball rate.

Covey might step right into Weber’s rotation spot, though while the 28-year-old righty brings more experience as a starting pitcher, he also has a rather shaky track record.  Covey posted a 6.54 ERA, 6.2 K/9, and 1.52 K/BB rate over 250 1/3 innings with the White Sox from 2017-2019, also posting some solid ground-ball rates and exhibiting some problems with the long ball (1.6 HR/9).  Over 63 appearances for Chicago, Covey started 45 of those games.

The Red Sox acquired Covey from the Rays just a few days prior to their July opener, and he made one relief appearance for Boston before being sent to the alternate training site.  That one outing didn’t go particularly well, as Covey gave up two earned runs over two innings in Boston’s 7-2 loss to the Orioles on July 25.

Ryan Weber Likely To Be In Red Sox’ Rotation

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Red Sox right-hander Ryan Weber entered camp hoping to win a battle for the fifth and final spot in the rotation, but manager Ron Roenicke has suggested that the 29-year-old now looks like the team’s fourth starter, per the Boston Herald’s Jason Mastrodonato.

Weber inked a minor league deal with the Red Sox in December 2018 and found himself in the big leagues as early as May, when now-former Sox lefty David Price hit the injured list. He spent the rest of the season bouncing between Pawtucket and Boston, ultimately appearing in 18 games and pitching to a 5.08 ERA in 40 2/3 innings. That’s not a particularly appealing number, of course, but Weber’s 4.20 FIP was much more palatable, and there’s reason to think he could be more effective yet.

Among the 436 pitchers who had 100 balls put into play against them in 2019, Weber posted the 17th-lowest hard-hit rate, per Statcast. Weber exhibited good control both in Triple-A and the Majors, and over the course of his pro career, his sinker has generated above-average ground-ball rates each year. The Boston Globe’s Peter Abraham wrote earlier in the month that the Sox were intrigued by the small handful of cutters that Weber threw last season and believe the pitch could develop into a quality offering with more use. To his credit, Weber also has an excellent Triple-A track record, having pitched to a 2.85 ERA in 360 1/3 innings there.

Even if Weber does surface as a serviceable rotation piece, Boston’s collection of starters is shaky following yesterday’s announcement that Chris Sale will miss the 2020 season due to Tommy John surgery. Eduardo Rodriguez turned in the finest season of his career in 2019 and should be a solid leader of the group. But right-hander Nathan Eovaldi hasn’t made more than 21 starts in a season since 2015, and lefty Martin Perez is fresh off a second consecutive sub-par season. The fifth spot in the rotation could go to an opener, although Mastrodonato and other reporters that spoke with Roenicke yesterday noted that he also mentioned lefty Brian Johnson as a possibility.

Sox fans may hope that righty Collin McHugh, signed as a free agent earlier this month, could eventually emerge as an option. However, The Athletic’s Chad Jennings wrote yesterday (subscription required) that McHugh still hasn’t begun a throwing program as he works back from elbow troubles of his own. He’s reportedly been cleared to do so, although workouts for all players are in limbo to some extent, given the suspended state of play. Perhaps by the time the season eventually gets underway, he’ll be built up, but it’s difficult to pencil him in even as a tentative rotation piece for the time being.

The Red Sox’ lineup should still be solid even without Mookie Betts, anchored by a formidable trio of Rafael Devers, Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez. But between Sale’s surgery, the trade of Price and the lack of a steady addition in the offseason, Boston’s starting staff looks like it’ll be a patchwork unit.

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