The Indians announced (on Twitter) that they have designated right-hander Tyler Cloyd for assignment in order to clear a 40-man roster spot for outfielder David Murphy, whose two-year, $12MM contract became official earlier today.
Cloyd never threw a pitch within the Indians organization. Cleveland claimed the 26-year-old off waivers from the Phillies in early October, after the minor league season had already ended. He has a solid minor league track record, as he's the owner of a 3.39 ERA to go along with 6.6 K/9 and 2.3 BB/9 in 254 1/3 innings at the Triple-A level.
However, Cloyd was hit hard at the big league level in 2013, posting a 6.56 ERA in 60 1/3 innings and averaging 6.1 strikeouts and 3.7 walks per nine innings with a 39.4 percent ground-ball rate. His 86.3 mph average fastball is one of the slowest you'll see from a right-handed starter, creating plenty of room for doubt, but his FIP of 4.49 this season does leave some room for optimism.
To keep track of Cloyd's status as well as the dozen other players who have been designated for assignment in the past week, remember to check out MLBTR's DFA Tracker.
