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Brewers Promote Robert Gasser

By Darragh McDonald | May 10, 2024 at 3:10pm CDT

May 10: The Brewers have made it official, announced that they have selected Gasser’s contract today. They also recalled right-hander Janson Junk from Triple-A Nashville. In corresponding moves, right-hander Joel Payamps was placed on the bereavement list while righty Tobias Myers was optioned to Nashville. To open a 40-man spot for Gasser, righty JB Bukauskas was transferred to the 60-day IL. Bukauskas has been on the injured list for almost a month due to a lat strain and has not yet begun a rehab assignment.

May 9: The Brewers are expected to promote pitching prospect Robert Gasser to the majors, per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The left-hander will be starting tomorrow’s game and making his major league debut. He’s not currently on the 40-man roster, so the Brewers will need to find a way to add him.

Gasser, 25 this month, was selected by the Padres in the 2021 draft. They grabbed him out of the University of Houston in Competitive Balance Round B, with the 71st overall pick. About a year later, he came to the Brewers via the 2022 deadline deal that sent Josh Hader to San Diego.

The Padres had him in High-A at the time of that trade, but the Brewers let him go to Double-A and Triple-A shortly thereafter. He finished 2022 with a combined 3.94 earned run average in 137 innings. He struck out 29.7% of batters faced while giving out walks at a 9% clip.

He spent all of last year with Triple-A Nashville, tossing 135 1/3 innings across 26 outings with a 3.79 ERA. He punched out 28% of the batters who came to the plate while giving out free passes just 8.4% of the time.

The lefty could have been in contention for a rotation spot to start the season but he was sidelined at the end of March due to a bone spur in his left elbow. He didn’t make his first Triple-A start of 2024 until April 24 and he has now taken the ball three times, throwing four frames each time out. He hasn’t been super sharp, with six walks and four homers allowed in his 12 innings, but has struck out 17.

Despite his name, Gasser doesn’t overpower hitters, mostly sitting in the 89-93 miles per hour range with his fastball. But he has a four-seamer, a two-seamer, a cutter, a slider and a changeup, allowing him to keep hitters off balance. Baseball America ranked him the club’s #5 prospect coming into the year while FanGraphs had him at #8 and Keith Law of The Athletic at #7.  MLB Pipeline currently has him in the #5 slot.

The Brewers have been dealing with various moving parts in their rotation since late last year. Brandon Woodruff required shoulder surgery and is going to miss most or perhaps all of the 2024 season. Corbin Burnes was traded to the Orioles in the offseason. Since the season started, Wade Miley required Tommy John surgery while DL Hall and Jakob Junis have also landed on the injured list.

On top of those injuries, Freddy Peralta is going miss one turn through the rotation. He was given a five-game suspension for his part in the fracas between the Brewers and Rays about a week ago. He initially appealed that suspension and took the ball against the Cubs on Sunday, before he began serving the suspension on Monday.

Gasser’s promotion might be a temporary one to cover for Peralta. But at least for now, he’ll jump into the rotation next to Bryse Wilson, Colin Rea, Joe Ross and Tobias Myers. Myers has a 6.23 ERA through three starts and could perhaps be sent down instead of Gasser, especially if things go poorly when he takes the ball against the Cardinals tonight.

Even if Gasser does get optioned after just one outing, opportunities could open up later in the year. Ross will likely hit a workload limit at some point since he hardly pitched over the previous two seasons while recovering from his second career Tommy John surgery. More generally, pitchers injuries are fairly inevitable, though Milwaukee should also have Hall and Junis coming off the IL later in the year.

Time will tell how much time Gasser spends in the majors in 2024. But for now, it’s an exciting day for the young southpaw, who will take the ball tomorrow at American Family Field against the division-rival Cardinals.

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Milwaukee Brewers Transactions J.B. Bukauskas Janson Junk Joel Payamps Robert Gasser Tobias Myers

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Astros Claim Alex Speas, Designate Corey Julks

By Darragh McDonald | May 10, 2024 at 2:40pm CDT

The Astros have claimed right-hander Alex Speas off waivers from the Athletics, per an announcement from the A’s. Oakland had designated him for assignment earlier this week. The Astros opened a roster spot by designating outfielder Corey Julks for assignment, per Chandler Rome of The Athletic. Speas has been optioned to Triple-A already.

Speas, 26, is capable of getting into triple-digit territory with his fastball. However, as if often the case for pitchers with that kind of power, controlling it has been an issue. He started last year at the Double-A level in the Rangers’ system. He tossed 28 1/3 innings at that level with a walk rate of 11.3%, but was able to work around that by striking out 40.9% of batters faced, leading to an earned run average of 0.64.

Moving up to the higher levels, he found it more challenging to overcome the lack of control. He tossed another 28 1/3 innings at Triple-A, but walked 19.2% of batters faced. His 29.2% strikeout rate was still strong but his ERA was 5.08. He also tossed two innings in the majors, striking out four batters but walking five.

He was nudged off the Texas roster in September of last year and has bounced around a bit since then. The White Sox claimed him off waivers in early October last year but designated him for assignment in early April. He was claimed by the A’s and is now changing clubs via waivers yet again.

Between the Sox and the A’s, he’s thrown 12 2/3 innings at the Triple-A level this year. He has struck out 17 opponents but walked nine, leading to rates of 26.6% and 14.4%, respectively. Those free baserunners have led to him being burned by four home runs, which is why he has a 12.08 ERA so far this year.

Despite the rough results so far in 2024, the Astros are taking a bet on the stuff. In addition to averaging 98.9 miles per hour on his fastball during his brief MLB debut last year, Statcast also lists a 91.9 mph cutter and 87.7 mph sweeper as pitches he threw for the Rangers. He still has a couple of options, so the Astros can keep him in the minors to see if he gets a better handle on that arsenal in the future.

In order to take a chance on Speas, the Astros are risking losing Julks. The 2018 eighth-rounder had a strong season at Triple-A in 2022, hitting 31 home runs and stealing 22 bases. His .270/.351/.503 batting line translated to a wRC+ of 108 in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

He cracked Houston’s Opening Day roster last year but didn’t immediately thrive in the majors and ended up back in the minors a couple of times. He finished the year with a .245/.297/.352 line in 93 big league games, translating to a wRC+ of 80. He still performed well in Sugar Land, drawing walks in 18.6% of his plate appearances and slashing .240/.388/.462 for a 110 wRC+.

Here in 2024, he was sent back to the Space Cowboys and has taken a slight step back. His 12.8% walk rate is still good but an obvious drop from last year. He currently has a .266/.358/.444 line and 97 wRC+ for the year.

Julks clearly has some skills but is now 28 years old and the Astros have a decent crop of outfielders ahead of him. Kyle Tucker, Yordan Alvarez, Chas McCormick, Jake Meyers, Mauricio Dubon, Joey Loperfido and Trey Cabbage are each on the 40-man and all are on the active roster except for the injured McCormick.

The Astros will now have a week to trade Julks or pass him through waivers. Given his strong numbers on the farm and two remaining option years, it’s possible he will garner interest from clubs looking for more outfield depth.

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Houston Astros Oakland Athletics Transactions Alex Speas Corey Julks

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Clint Frazier Signs With Atlantic League’s Charleston Dirty Birds

By Steve Adams | May 10, 2024 at 8:56am CDT

The Charleston Dirty Birds of the Atlantic League lost one former big leaguer yesterday when infielder Drew Ellis signed with the Angels, but they quickly filled that roster spot with another, announcing the signing of outfielder Clint Frazier.

Now 29 years of age, Frazier was the No. 5 overall pick back in 2013 and spent the better part of a half decade ranked among the sport’s top prospects. Cleveland shipped him to the Bronx as part of a deadline blockbuster netting star reliever Andrew Miller in 2016.

For a time, Frazier looked like a potential building block for the Yankees. While injuries (multiple concussions, an ankle sprain, an oblique strain) and a big league roster crowded by well-paid veterans (e.g. Brett Gardner, Aaron Hicks) routinely cut into Frazier’s playing time, he appeared in 123 MLB games from 2018-20 and turned in a combined .267/.351/.485 batting line and popped 20 home runs in just 447 plate appearances. Frazier got a notable run as the team’s primary left fielder in the shortened 2020 season and delivered the best stretch of his career: .267/.394/.511 with eight homers, six doubles, a triple and five steals in just 160 plate appearances.

On the heels of that performance, Frazier secured himself the Opening Day nod in left field for the 2021 Yankees. He hit safely in his first four games and briefly looked to be picking up where he left off, but a protracted slump would soon set in. Frazier wound up struggling mightily through the season’s first three months, hitting .186/.317/.317 with a bloated 29.8% strikeout rate. The Yankees placed him on the injured list in early July with vertigo symptoms. Frazier would not only go on to miss the remainder of the season — he’d ultimately be non-tendered that November, ending his Yankees tenure.

Subsequent low-cost deals with the Cubs and White Sox didn’t get Frazier’s career back on track. He tallied just 45 plate appearances with the former and 76 with the latter, combining for a .204/.322/.262 slash and going homerless on both the north and south side of the Windy City. The once-lauded prospect also had a brief stint in the Rangers organization after inking a minor league pact but didn’t get called up from Triple-A Round Rock.

Tumultuous as his stay in the Bronx was, Frazier showed plenty of promise at times and is still just 29 years old. He won’t turn 30 until September. He’ll face a long road back to the big leagues, but he’d hardly be the first player to parlay a strong showing in the Atlantic League back into affiliated ball.

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Atlantic League Transactions Clint Frazier

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Angels Acquire Luis Guillorme, Transfer Anthony Rendon To 60-Day IL

By Nick Deeds | May 9, 2024 at 8:40pm CDT

8:40pm: Guillorme is active for tonight’s game against the Royals. The Halos placed both Drury and Rengifo on the 10-day injured list while recalling Kyren Paris in corresponding moves.

10:00am: The Braves announced that Guillorme has been traded to the Angels for a player to be named later or cash. The Angels have also announced the swap, transferring third baseman Anthony Rendon to the 60-day injured list to create roster space. Rendon has been out since April 20 with a hamstring injury and will now be sidelined into at least late June.

7:27am: The Angels are reportedly acquiring infielder Luis Guillorme from the Braves, according to Daniel Alvarez-Montes of El Extrabase. The return headed to Atlanta is not currently known.

Guillorme, 29, was non-tendered by the Mets back in November but signed with the Braves in early January on a one-year, $1.1MM deal. A tenth-round pick by New York in the 2013 draft, Guillorme made his big league debut in 2018 but did not receive significant playing time until the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. While he had struggled to a .227/.303/.297 slash line in 80 games over his first two seasons in the big leagues, 2020 saw Guillorme appear in 29 of the club’s 60 contests while slashing an incredible .333/.426/.439, good for a wRC+ of 145.

Impressive as that performance in the shortened campaign was, it was inflated by a .463 BABIP that would be completely unsustainable over a full season. Even so, Guillorme began to see more frequent use by the Mets in the seasons following his strong performance in 2020. With that increase in playing time came improved results; Guillorme slashed a serviceable .265/.374/.311 (97 wRC+) in 69 games during the 2021 campaign, and in 335 plate appearances the following year he hit .273/.351/.340 (104 wRC+).

Overall, that trio of campaigns saw Guillorme post production that was 7% better than league average off the bench while striking out just 15.4% of the time and walking at an excellent 12.4% clip. Guillorme’s overall offensive performance was capped by an extreme lack of power that saw him hit just three home runs in 559 trips to the plate from 2020-22. Still, the infielder managed to make up for that not only through strong plate discipline but also excellent glovework; those years saw Guillorme post an impressive +10 Outs Above Average in limited playing time while shuffling between second base, third base, and shortstop.

While his combination of contact, on-base ability, and versatile infield defense made Guillorme one of the better bench bats in the league over that three year stretch, the 2023 campaign saw him regress significantly. In 120 trips to the plate across 53 games, Guillorme slashed just .224/.388/.327 (70 wRC+) with much weaker peripherals than his previous seasons. His 23.3% strikeout rate was nearly a ten-point jump from where it had been the previous year, while his 8.3% walk rate was the worst of his career. Making matters worse was a regression in Guillorme’s fielding that saw him go from a clearly above-average defender around the infield to below average at every spot he played. The infielder generated -4 Outs Above Average in 2023, including at least a -1 figure at each of his three positions.

That difficult 2023 season is what led the Mets to non-tender Guillorme back in November, allowing the Braves to add him to their bench mix. Unfortunately for Guillorme, however, he’s been limited to just nine games this season and his .150/.190/.250 slash line in that limited playing time hardly made a case for a larger role in Atlanta. With Luke Williams currently occupying a spot on the bench and non-roster veterans such as David Fletcher and Leury Garcia able to step into Guillorme’s utility role, it’s unlikely the Braves will be impacted too significantly by his departure.

With that being said, it’s possible the 29-year-old will receive more runway to re-establish himself in Anaheim. The club’s infield has struggled to stay healthy this year with Anthony Rendon, Michael Stefanic, and Miguel Sano all currently on the injured list. Meanwhile, Luis Rengifo has been out for nearly a week due to illness and Brandon Drury could be headed to the injured list in the coming days himself after exiting yesterday’s game in the sixth inning due to hamstring tightness.

Cole Tucker and Ehire Adrianza are currently filling in on the infield alongside shortstop Zack Neto, but Tucker has routinely struggled at the big league level throughout his career and Adrianza sports a .165/.248/.218 slash line in the majors over the past three seasons. Given those limited options, it appears likely that Guillorme will have plenty of opportunities to earn a larger role in Anaheim than he had in Atlanta over the coming weeks. If he manages to bounce back to the form he showed from 2020-22, the Angels will have found a solid in-season addition to their infield mix who could remain valuable even once the club’s infield regulars begin to get healthy.

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Atlanta Braves Los Angeles Angels Newsstand Transactions Anthony Rendon Brandon Drury Luis Guillorme Luis Rengifo

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Athletics Outright Lázaro Armenteros

By Darragh McDonald | May 9, 2024 at 5:25pm CDT

Outfielder Lázaro Armenteros has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Las Vegas, reports Francys Romero on X. The outfielder was designated for assignment by the Athletics earlier this week.

Armenteros is now on the cusp of his 25th birthday, which will arrive on May 22. Once a high-profile prospect out of Cuba, he signed with the A’s in 2016, earning a $3MM bonus at that time. Baseball America ranked him as one of the club’s top 30 prospects in five straight years after he entered the system.

His natural athleticism has been on display for quite some time, with obvious speed and power. But as he has spent time in affiliated ball, strikeouts have been an ongoing problem. Apart from a brief stint in Rookie ball back in 2017, he’s never had a strikeout rate lower than 32.8% at any stop on the minor league ladder. He’s hit some home runs and stolen some bases along the way, but those punchouts have sapped his prospect stock.

Splitting his time between High-A and Double-A last year, he continued to strike out in a third of his plate appearances but offset that somewhat with a 14.9% walk rate. He also hit 20 homers and stole 17 bases. His combined batting line of .252/.383/.496 led to a 134 wRC+.

That showing was strong enough that the A’s were worried about losing him in the Rule 5 draft, so they added him to their 40-man roster in November. They promoted him to Triple-A to start this year but the results have not been pretty. In 72 plate appearances, he’s been punched out 37 times, a 51.4% clip. He’s drawn walks at a 12.5% rate but his .133/.278/.250 line is obviously rough.

The A’s bumped him off their 40-man when selecting left-hander Tyler Ferguson this week. The other 29 clubs all passed on a chance to grab him off waivers, so Armenteros will return to Vegas and try to play his way back onto the roster.

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Oakland Athletics Transactions Lazaro Armenteros

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Angels Sign Drew Ellis To Minor League Deal

By Steve Adams | May 9, 2024 at 4:30pm CDT

The Angels are adding infielder Drew Ellis on a minor league contract, per an announcement from his now-former team in the independent Atlantic League: the Charleston Dirty Birds. Ellis’ contract was purchased from the Dirty Birds by the Angels yesterday, per the announcement. Presumably, he’ll head to the Halos’ Triple-A affiliate in Salt Lake City.

Ellis, 28, has appeared in each of the past three major league seasons, spending time with the D-backs, Mariners and Phillies. He’s only tallied 129 overall plate appearances, during which he’s popped three homers and walked at a 13.2% clip while struggling to an overall .157/.295/.269 batting line. Ellis has fanned in 31.8% of those 129 trips to the plate. He’s played first base, second base and third base in the majors, plus a pair of minor league games at shortstop and 37 games in left field back in his days at the University of Louisville.

Originally drafted by the Diamondbacks back in 2017, Ellis was that year’s No. 44 overall pick. Baseball America ranked him 66th in that year’s draft class and pegged him as high as ninth in Arizona’s system at one point, touting his plus power, athleticism and solid skills at the hot corner.

In parts of three Triple-A seasons, Ellis has shown off that power and a good approach at the plate but still hit for a low average. He’s a career .247/.364/.500 hitter at the minors’ top level. Given his big league contact issues and that low average, it’s easy to suspect he’s been excessively strikeout prone in the minors. But while Ellis has fanned at a slightly higher-than-average 24.3% rate in Triple-A, the greater culprit has been his penchant for weak infield flies. He’s totaled 1124 Triple-A plate appearances and popped up to the infield a staggering 86 times. That propensity has undercut his plate discipline and impressive power.

The Angels are in clear need of some infield depth, making their pickup of Ellis plenty understandable. The Halos just acquired veteran Luis Guillorme from the Braves and moved Anthony Rendon to the 60-day injured list. Rendon will be out until at least late June. Brandon Drury exited his most recent game due to a hamstring issue and seems likely to head to the injured list. Infielders Miguel Sano and Michael Stefanic are also on the IL. The Angels are currently rostering both Ehire Adrianza and Cole Tucker, but neither has provided any offense in an eight-game sample. Niko Goodrum was claimed off waivers from the Rays today. Ellis will give them some depth with a bit of versatility and a nice track record of power and on-base skills in Triple-A, should the Halos eventually want to shuffle their bench mix or in the event that they incur further injuries.

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Atlantic League Los Angeles Angels Transactions Drew Ellis

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Yankees Claim Colby White

By Steve Adams | May 9, 2024 at 2:55pm CDT

The Yankees announced Thursday that they’ve claimed right-hander Colby White off waivers from the Rays, who’d designated him for assignment late last week. White has been optioned to Double-A Somerset. The Yankees already had an open 40-man spot after designating outfielder Taylor Trammell for assignment and outrighting him to Triple-A, so a corresponding 40-man move isn’t necessary.

The 25-year-old White was a 2019 sixth-round pick by the Rays. He ranked among the team’s most promising arms at one point but has seen his career set back by injuries. The right-hander missed the 2022 season and a good portion of the 2023 campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery. He returned to pitch 22 minor league frames late last year and posted a 1.64 ERA that looked pristine on the surface but masked some worrying trends. Namely, White issued a free pass to a whopping 19.5% of his opponents in last year’s comeback effort.

His command woes continued this year, and the good fortune he had in stranding all those free baserunners dried up. White pitched 7 2/3 innings in the Rays’ system but was rocked for 15 earned runs on the strength of 10 hits and 10 walks. He’s given up a walk to just under 22% of his opponents this year and has also hit a pair of batters.

Command wasn’t an issue prior to White’s surgery. In 2021, he posted a sparkling 1.44 ERA across four minor league levels while dominating opponents — evidenced by a comical 45% strikeout rate and a strong 6.4% walk rate. White is in the second of three minor league option years, so the Yanks will send him to Double-A and hope that the change of scenery can get him closer to his 2021 form. If they can accomplish that, White could yet emerge as a quality big league reliever, but he’s clearly a project in the wake of his post-surgery struggles to locate the ball.

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New York Yankees Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Colby White

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Angels Claim Niko Goodrum

By Steve Adams | May 9, 2024 at 2:45pm CDT

The Angels announced Thursday that they’ve claimed utilityman Niko Goodrum off waivers from the Rays, who’d designated him for assignment earlier in the week. In a corresponding move, the Halos recalled righty Kelvin Caceres from Triple-A and placed him on the major league 60-day injured list.

Goodrum appeared in nine games with Tampa Bay but tallied only 18 plate appearances, during which he collected a trio of singles, walked once and struck out three times. He hit .316/.422/.605 with three homers in 45 plate appearances down in Triple-A Durham.

A second-round pick by the Twins in 2010, the now-32-year-old Goodrum has played in parts of seven MLB seasons (this year included). The best stretch of that seven-year span came with the 2018-19 Tigers, who gave Goodrum regular playing time and saw him enjoy a .247/.318/.427 slash while playing quality defense at multiple positions. For a time, Goodrum served as the Tigers’ everyday shortstop. He logged 964 plate appearances over those two seasons and belted 28 homers in addition to swiping 24 bags.

Goodrum’s bat wilted in subsequent seasons. He split the 2023 campaign between the Red Sox’ Triple-A affiliate in Worcester, batting .280/.448/.440, and the Lotte Giants of the Korea Baseball Organization, for whom he turned in a .295/.373/.387 line.

The switch-hitting Goodrum has experience at all four infield positions and in the outfield corners. He’ll give the Halos some depth at a time when Anthony Rendon was just transferred to the 60-day IL and when each of Miguel Sano, Michael Stefanic and potentially Brandon Drury — who exited yesterday’s game with a hamstring issue — are unavailable. Sano and Stefanic are both on the injured list already, and Drury could soon join them. The Angels also acquired Luis Guillorme in a morning trade with the Braves. Goodrum and/or Guillorme could eventually push current bench players Cole Tucker and Ehire Adrianza off the roster; neither has hit much in his first eight games with the team.

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Los Angeles Angels Tampa Bay Rays Transactions Kelvin Caceres Niko Goodrum

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Guardians Acquire Darren McCaughan From Marlins

By Darragh McDonald | May 9, 2024 at 2:05pm CDT

The Guardians announced today that they have acquired right-hander Darren McCaughan from the Marlins. The latter club, who designated the righty for assignment on the weekend, receive cash considerations in return. The Guards optioned McCaughan to Triple-A Columbus and transferred Gavin Williams to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot.

McCaughan, 28, spent his entire career with the Mariners until he was designated for assignment in February. He was traded to the Marlins for cash and was sent to Triple-A Jacksonville to start the year. He made five starts there with poor results, posting a 6.14 earned run average despite average-ish peripherals. He struck out 22.2% of batters faced with an 8.1% walk rate, but with a .338 batting average on balls in play and 52.8% strand rate.

The Marlins called him up to the big leagues last week. In Saturday’s game against Oakland, Trevor Rogers allowed eight earned runs in 2 1/3 innings. McCaughan came in for some long relief, throwing 4 2/3 but also allowing eight earned runs on the way to a 20-4 loss. McCaughan was designated for assignment the next day.

The Guardians are undoubtedly interested in McCaughan based on his work in previous seasons. From 2021 to 2023, he tossed 408 2/3 innings for Triple-A Tacoma, in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. He had a 4.98 ERA in that time as well as a 21.4% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate.

Cleveland has less pitching depth than other recent seasons. Shane Bieber required Tommy John surgery while Williams has been on the IL all year due to elbow soreness. Their rotation currently consists of three youngsters in Triston McKenzie, Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee, as well as two veterans in Carlos Carrasco and Ben Lively. McKenzie hardly pitched last year due to a sprain of his UCL and is currently getting by with diminished stuff. Allen has a 6.41 ERA on the year, Bibee 4.91 and Carrasco 5.67. Lively is down at 2.08 in only four starts. He was at 5.38 last year with the Reds, his first MLB action since 2019.

Despite the lackluster results from the rotation, the club is 24-13 and leading the American League Central. To help keep things afloat, they have been actively trying to bolster the starting depth. They acquired Zak Kent from the Rangers on Opening Day and later grabbed Wes Parsons from the Blue Jays, sending international bonus pool space away in both cases. With the acquisition of McCaughan, they have now added three optionable starters to their system in the past two months.

As for Williams, as mentioned, he’s been on the injured list all season due to elbow soreness. This transfer is backdated to his initial IL placement, meaning he’s ineligible return until late May. He recently resumed a throwing program but will need to build up a full starter’s workload and isn’t going to be ready in the next month or so regardless.

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Cleveland Guardians Miami Marlins Transactions Darren McCaughan Gavin Williams

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Braves Acquire Zack Short From Red Sox

By Darragh McDonald | May 9, 2024 at 12:25pm CDT

The Red Sox have traded infielder Zack Short to the Braves in exchange for cash considerations, per announcements from both clubs. Boston had designated him for assignment earlier this week. Atlanta opened up a roster spot earlier today by trading Luis Guillorme to the Angels.

Short, 29 this month, is a utility player with a distinctly patient approach at the plate. He has 469 career plate appearances, walking in 11.5% of those but also striking out at a 29.4% clip. He has only swung at 20.9% of pitches outside the zone. Among hitters with at least 450 plate appearances since the start of 2021, only seven batters have chased less. And one of those is Brett Gardner, who hasn’t played since 2021.

Despite the keen eye, Short hasn’t been able to produce much at the big league level. He currently has a career batting line of .169/.262/.299. The results have been a bit better at Triple-A, as he has slashed .226/.361/.397 there since the start of 2021. His 16.2% walk rate at that level helped him produce a 106 wRC+, though he was also punched out at a 26.6% clip.

In addition to an intriguing approach at the plate, Short also provides defensive versatility. At the major league level, he’s played the three infield positions to the left of first base, as well as center and right field. He’s also spent a bit of time in left field in the minors.

Short exhausted his final option year with the Tigers in 2023 and is now out of options. That has led to him bouncing around the league since the end of last season. The Mets claimed him from the Tigers in November but then designated him for assignment at the end of April when J.D. Martinez was ready for his team debut. He was traded to the Red Sox for cash but only lasted on that roster for a week before being designated for assignment again.

It’s entirely possible that he ends up in DFA limbo again on account of his out-of-options status, but he’ll join Atlanta’s roster for now. The club has a lineup full of stars but Short will take over Guillorme’s previous role as a versatile bench piece alongside Luke Williams. If Short lasts on the roster all year, he can be retained for future seasons since he has less than two years of major league service time.

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Atlanta Braves Boston Red Sox Transactions Zack Short

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    Blue Jays Place Bo Bichette On Injured List

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    NPB’s Kazuma Okamoto, Tatsuya Imai Expected To Be Posted For MLB Teams

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    Red Sox To Place Roman Anthony On Injured List

    Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Diagnosed With Torn ACL

    Braves Claim Ha-Seong Kim From Rays

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    Recent

    Jose Quintana To Undergo MRI For Calf Injury

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    Jose Altuve Exits Game With Foot Discomfort

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    Blue Jays To Promote Trey Yesavage For MLB Debut

    Braves Select Luke Williams, Place Jake Fraley On Injured List

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