The Braves have claimed right-hander Victor Arano and outfielder Kyle Garlick off waivers, the Phillies announced. Philadelphia recently designated both players for assignment. The claims fill the final two open spots on Atlanta’s 40-man roster.
A member of the Phillies organization since August 2014, Arano has a 2.65 ERA, 26.3 K%, and 18.8 K-BB% over 74 2/3 career innings in the big leagues, all from 2017-19 (and mostly in 2018, when Arano tossed 59 1/3 frames). Unfortunately, elbow surgery sidelined Arano for much of 2019 and kept him from making any MLB appearances in 2020. If healthy, Arano could certainly be an interesting weapon for the Atlanta bullpen, as he has shown an ability to miss a lot of bats both in the majors and in the minors.
The right-handed hitting Garlick also gives the Braves another option as they figure out their outfield situation. With no sign that a reunion with Marcell Ozuna is forthcoming, the Braves have Ronald Acuna as a lock for one starting position in either center field or right field, and then a combination of Ender Inciarte, top prospects Cristian Pache and Drew Waters, and bench candidates Abraham Almonte and Johan Camargo all in the mix for outfield duty. Garlick could conceivably share platoon duty with Inciarte (a left-handed hitter) or switch-hitters Almonte and Camargo, or Atlanta could just stash him in the minors as depth.
Garlick (who turns 29 later this week) has appeared in each of the last two MLB seasons, amassing a .214/.276/.414 slash line over 76 total plate appearances with the Dodgers and Phillies. Originally a 28th-round pick for the Dodgers in the 2015 draft, Garlick hit a very impressive .288/.345/.536 over 1846 PA in the Los Angeles farm system, though with the caveat that he was mostly playing against younger competition and that the Pacific Coast League is very hitter-friendly.
Garlick should spice up their bench a bit
I’m sure there’s something wrong with Arano (velocity or otherwise) that has led Philly to let him go but I’m more intrigued by Arano than Garlick.
Not counting on Arano to be a factor but I don’t mind taking a shot in him to see if he can regroup and come back strong.
Mmmmmmm garlick..
Garlick will be a good way to keep the vampires out of Atlanta… especially since he has experience in a sylvania .. 😉
So Ozuna/Duvall is essentially replaced with Almonte/Garlick??? This is getting ridiculous.
lol… no
I’m still fried that the Phils let him go.
Don’t mince your words.
Boom roasted.
Garlick mashed in the minors
Yeah but he pressed himself too much in the majors.
Braves stealing all the former Phillies. Realmuto next? Not really. I don’t buy Realmuto Braves rumors in the slightest. That’s coming from JT’s camp. I do like Arano though, and I’m baffled as to why the Phillies let him go when he fills one of their greatest needs.
Arano just has trouble staying healthy. DD must have other plans for the pen.
Lol ooook
He hasn’t been healthy for 2 years and the media has been incredibly quiet regarding his health post surgery. There’s something bigger there for sure.
Velocity is down for Victor.
I mean the Phillies pen is pathetic. Seems to me they’re giving up on him too early.
this just seems like a situation where the braves are trying to make the Phillies worry that they’re serious contenders for J.T. Realmuto.I think they want Philly to up their offer just a little bit just so that’s a little less money they have to put in other places just a little gamesmanship
I don’t think anyone is falling for it. Other than hopeful Braves fans and frightened Phillies fans. Don’t get me wrong, I think JT will be getting other offers and it’s very possible he won’t be on the Phillies, but the Braves aren’t offering more than 110 for a catcher they don’t need, and if they were, we wouldn’t be hearing rumors about it. AA is very tight-lipped.
One year of TDA under contract and two prospects in the farm doesn’t equal “doesn’t need” to me. Especially with the DH coming into play in the next few years.
Extending TDA, who had a better season than JT in 2020, would cost significantly less than JT. JT is better, but if the Phillies had a solid catcher, I’d prefer them to spend elsewhere. The rumors are nonsense to me.
Anytime a team can sign the sport’s best player at a position – it fits a need. Sure, the 60-game season had a nice offensive output for TDA, but an extension based on that with a significant raise is riskier than signing Realmuto, if contract figures are relative. A Realmuto signing would be similar to TOR’s situation of having catching depth they could trade from (eventually), with top prospects: William Contreras, Shea Langeliers – if not TDA, also. While the ATL connection seems far-fetched, it certainly makes sense. Spending real money on Realmuto isn’t stupid money – I can see why PHI hasn’t completed the deal yet.
I agree with all this, while at the same time thinking the ATL rumor is nonsense. There are certainly other teams in on Realmuto, but I don’t think the Braves are one of them. AA wouldn’t have let it leak unless it was just a move to make the Phils spend more.
@Von — when ATL signed BJ Upton, supposedly they (Frank Wren) heavily outbid the next highest-bidder. PHI was one of the team’s interested – do you know if they may have been one of the final bidders for him?
I don’t buy the Realmuto rumors, either. If they wouldn’t go for the years on Springer, I don’t see why it’d be different for Realmuto? Springer would’ve solved nearly every need in a single swoop, too. I just think they don’t want Philly to get JT at a bargain, unless Realmuto shocks everyone and takes a 2 or 3 yr deal.
I could see him taking a bloated 4 year deal tho as long as it breaks joe mauer’s highest per year for a catcher
Well the Braves will keep the Vampires away, but that fails in an another category. inclusiveness
I can’t believe he slipped all the way down to the Braves
Arano may be a good pick up. Hopefully this isn’t all we do this off-season.
Braves already signed Morton. I’d say that’s a solid offseason for a team that’s already equipped for contention.
I know and I’m beyond happy with that add. I just hope they sign a clean up hitter. Anyone who can give Freddie Freeman some protection.
At this point chances are we get a clean up guy via trade not much left on the fa market
Von while they signed Morton/Smyly the Braves also have 2 relief pitchers dangling out there in free agency that were very good last year and especially in the 2020 postseason in Melancon/Greene…..
I’m happy for these guys, but I hope this doesn’t signal that the Braves are done. They’ll need to expose one of their 40 if they sign Ozuna or another slugger.
I’m surprised a bad team didn’t scoop up Arano.
Arano is an interesting pickup but not Garlick. Look, it’s becoming more and more clear the Braves aren’t gonna make a solid move to resign or replace Ozuna as the market continues to get thinner and thinner… that said, if we don’t make a move it better be Drew Waters in the outfield, not Ender or any of these other no names. Honestly, we have two outfield spots we aren’t 100% confident in. I think a Acuna Pache Waters outfield is solid enough if we refuse to make a move… but throwing Ender out there makes our team worse.
Although I don’t believe the JT rumors a bit… I want to sign him and potentially trade TD for another outfield spot. TD is pretty athletic… truth be told, wouldn’t shock me if he could handle left field… just throwing that out there …
As we get closer and closer to spring training the more I’m convinced AA will trade for a clean up hitter. Lots of options on the trade market. I never thought there was a chance we resign ozuna. Personally I’d rather see the Braves bring in joc pederson and someone to platoon with him not Duvall tho lol he’s too streaky. Next years fa class is stacked not to mention giving Pache and waters time to see what they’ve got in the majors this year. ( I don’t see waters coming up to after the all star break tho
Who is he trading for? I’d love to see Eugenio Suarez, but that’ll come with a hefty price, which also pushes Riley to COF – if not traded. Kris Bryant is giving interviews questioning his love for the game – not something you want to hear 30 days out from ST if thinking about him being your 2021 restoration acquisition. Ozuna, Cruz both are dependent on the DH, it seems, and Realmuto wants record-setting money not sure ATL can/want to afford.
Frankly, I want to see the DH implemented and go with option BB: Bryce Ball. He’s a bad, bad man.
The KB interview was taken out of context tbf. He still loves the game, but between having a bad year and the constant trade talks, he being bogged down. Honestly, I hope the braves make a move for someone who can stay with the team longer than just 1 year, so I’m not on the KB trade train.
AA. and DD should both look at CC as a reliever. Not sure about BB though, maybe Edwin Encarcion would be a better fit? He could rest Freddie Freeman occasionally.
I wouldn’t mind Duvall as a 4th outfielder
now it would be the Phillies luck that the braves take Victoe Arano and turn him into a cy Young candidate this year
out of the bullpen that would be amazing, and Victoe is no Sixto
This move could also indicate that the LF void is most likely to be filled via trade in lieu of FA signing(s).
On the flip-side AA can always simply designate one of these two again (or others) if they sign a FA – a sign of the uncertainty of the market.
Always a negative edge.. there is no point to the last sentence that Garlick did well BUT older and PCL.. I don’t know the kid at all.. but the kid put up numbers PERIOD… the older vs younger does not matter in upper minors and you can point to fair and unfair parks for hitters in ALL leaguers..
So Philly, who’ve been terrible the past few years, have 40-man issues, and Atlanta, a successful team with a young core and vibrant farm system, always seems to have space available.
They’ll probably pass Garlick through again, which, considering nobody up the food chain claimed him before, is likely to pass. Unless the Dodgers have an interest; can’t see it.
Aranao is interesting though, and has 2 minor league option years left. Given the age and skill set, unless there’s issues we don’t know about (always a possibility) he, seems to be a reasonable “get”.
People are overthinking this way too much. The Braves had two 40-man spots open, Garlick can compete for a bench spot, and Arano looked good in the past, so they’ll see if he can rebound. Not much more than that.
ATL’s pitching coach (Krantiz) used to PHI’s P coach. Arano logged IP from 2017-19 in PHI’s bullpen (not including MiLB work) and Kranitz was PHI’s pitching coach in 2018.
Seems like a lot of people like Garlick…
This dh or no dh for the NL thing is borderline criminal for teams trying to figure out their lineups for gods sake. If you want another mvp like season out of freddie and see him at his full potential, you have to bring back an ozuna type bat or find a new leadoff guy and place acuna behind him. Freddie’s not freddie freeman without a major threat behind him so tell them if there’s guna be a dh or not, $h!t or get off the pot Manfred! (Me thinks both sides are waiting to hear because both badly want a reunion.)
Acuna leads off because it’s where he likes to hit. A Whit Merrifield type would probably hit second.
We all know that’s where he prefers to hit but at some point he’s going to become a 3 or 4 in the lineup. Him trying to leg out hits and too many attempts at base stealing is creating a ton more risks of injury as he ages. We need him playing every day and eventually getting him behind freeman will only up the odds of that.
Curious why Atlanta bothered grabbing these players, if they plan to compete in 2021 why would a couple of philly rejects help them? Worst off they take a spot on the 40 man roster. I am willing to bet either one, maybe even both end up being dfa’d before the season even starts and they are moved elsewhere.
Arano is low risk high reward. Garlick could be a solid utility guy off the bench at best.
Krantiz may have seen something and/or connected with him during his time as PHI pitching coach. Considering his K-rate, why not give him a shot? Seems like ATL does this every year to great affect.
if Arano isnt cooked im not going to be happy DD. could’ve just cut Quezada.
Trying to get insider info on a div rival by claiming their players I see.
ATL hired their pitching coach (Kranitz) a few years ago and made a contribution to Hamels retirement tour…
The speculation that Inciarte and Almonte would be relied on as integral parts of a 2021 Braves OF mix has to be nauseating for any Braves fan. Almonte’s presence on any team’s 40-man is a subject for Unsolved Mysteries, and Inciarte has been in a flat spin for a couple years now. If ATL is ready to turn those positions over to Pache and Waters, that’s fine, but I’d still want a 4th OF more substantial than Inciarte or Almonte as a fallback.
Inciarte as a 4th OF is a great problem to have under the correct salary. He’s an amazing late inning defensive replacement, great sub base runner, and a guy who can get the bunt down if needed. Just like heyward, needs to take hitting advice from Markakis and slap the ball the other way to be a productive asset.
Inciarte and “amazing” should not be within the same paragraph, unless there’s a not in between. His defense has been slipping majorly the last 2 years. He doesn’t need to bunt considering his normal swings have the same weak effect. Ender is basically an anchor who isn’t really useful for the team at this point.
Did you ever play the outfield???? Do you know what happens when you rarely play once you’re used to seeing the bat off the ball multiple times a day every day vs rarely at all.. Your jumps, reading, and timing get off. Cf and lf were my babies. And yes he’s still an amazing outfielder when playing every day.
I could care less if he stays or goes because of all the options around the corner, we need bats in the OF PERIOD.
Inciarte was amazing.
Ender is quite baffling. Still a good defensive outfielder. Seems he has just forgotten how to hit a baseball the last couple years…
So the braves have the onions to get garlick… spicy move.
I’d like to have known the Dombrowski reasoning with DFA Arano..I thought he has options left..With an ill pen, seems to me he’d be the kind of pick up we would expect to see….
I don’t understand the Garlic pick up on Atlanta’s part..
As long as I have my fingers by the keys, I totally agree with the earlier comment on the Universal DH…MLB needs to make an definitive statement one way or the other..Might be that the MLBPA is using this an some sort of starting point..Next year could get very ugly pholks.
Arano has thrown innings in winter ball so assuming they had something fresh to look at, so I’ll give DD the benefit of the doubt, though it seems like they had plenty of other options to drop before Arano.