The Brewers have signed right-hander Marcus Walden to a minor league deal, per a team announcement. He has been assigned to the Triple-A Nashville Sounds. (Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweeted about the deal shortly before the official announcement.)
Walden, 33, was a ninth round selection of the Blue Jays back in the 2007 draft but became something of a journeyman even before reaching the big leagues. He was claimed off waivers by the A’s, then released and joined the Atlantic League. He then signed a minor league deal with the Twins, followed by another with the Red Sox, with whom he would eventually make his MLB debut.
In 2018, he threw 14 2/3 innings out of their bullpen and return in 2019. That year, he threw 78 frames with an impressive 3.81 ERA, 23.2% strikeout rate, 9.8% walk rate and 53.5% ground ball rate. Unfortunately, things went sideways for him in 2020, as his ERA shot up to 9.45 in 13 1/3 innings. His grounder rate dropped to 40.4%, his strikeouts went down to 14.1% and his walks shot up 12.7%. That’s a very small sample size in a strange, shortened season, but it was enough for the club to designate him for assignment at the end of the year.
He spent 2021 in the minors for the Red Sox and Cubs, but has spent 2022 with the Gastonia Honey Hunters of the Atlantic League. He’s transitioned back to a rotation role, throwing 50 1/3 innings over nine starts. He’s racked up 34 Ks against just eight walks and put up a 2.86 ERA in that time.
It’s unknown if the Brewers intend for Walden to continue in a starter’s role now that he’s back from the wilderness, but it would make sense given that injuries have taken a toll on their rotation. Freddy Peralta, Brandon Woodruff and Aaron Ashby are all on the IL at the moment, which has forced the club to cobble together a staff with backup options like minor league signee Jason Alexander and waiver claim Chi Chi Gonzalez. Adding Walden gives them an extra depth option with some MLB experience. Should he earn his way back onto the big league team, he still has a couple of option years remaining, allowing Milwaukee to shuttle him between Triple-A and the majors, if necessary.
Makes you appreciate how rare and special guys are that can stick in the majors for 5+ years (or even a full year for that matter) without bouncing up and down with options or signing overseas/independent league.
Makes me wonder just how little the Organization must think of Lindblom at this point. Dude got passed over for ChiChi Rodriguez already, and this dude will probably get the call before him next.
I think they’ve wisely decided he’s not an MLB starter.
But Rodriguez is? Or this guy? I mean, we’re talking about a spot start/injury fill in, not leaning on the guy like they did Sabathia for half a season.
Lindblom has not been able to parlay his success in the KBO to even remotely decent MLB numbers. He’s been ok at AAA but i wouldn’t be surprised to see him head back to Korea when his contract with the Brewers ends.
As for being passed over by Chi Chi Rodriguez, it has to be rather demoralizing to be passed over on the depth chart by an 86 year old Golfer who has never played the game…
Rodriguez, Gonzalez, Johnson, Smith..whichever. and I wouldn’t be surprised if Stearns does sign a retired golfer next.
This is just a depth move. I’m not worried about the pitching nearly as much as the offense. We have one dude hitting over .250. One! Those 2 new hitting coaches sure don’t seem to be making any progress, unless nobody is paying attention. Urias is going backwards, Yelich is underwhelming, Hiura lost it, Wong (currently injured) has disappeared, and Cutch is a shadow of what he was. Hard to be confident or hopeful about these guys being contenders. They need a shakeup/trade but where do you start?
Actually, the argument could be made the hitting coaches are spending about 10 days with 1 player at a time. Taylor was white hot for about 2 weeks, then disappeared. Urias was hit for a week after he returned from injury. Caratini had a 5 game streak. Renfroe for a week or so before he got hurt, and most recently the HR in 3 straight games (it was the Reds though…), Telez for a couple stretches..Cutch is the guy this week, and of course Huira has 2 good games shortly after every recall. But nobody can sustain it for very long, or at the same time as someone else.
After a very Thoreau look at Walden, the Brewers made their move.
Don Henley favors the Walden Project
Don Henley favors the Walden Project
Hey Stearns, what’s up? You trying to get to New York that bad? Woodruff, if he does come back will not be anything close to the same, he was prior to injury, who knows what is really up with Peralta, Ashby is hit and miss, needs time, the way you keep moving players up and down you cannot be too comfortable with what is in minors right now, you keep adding these retreads and giving them shot just to fill a void in the parent club, Just maybe it is time to spend a little and trade for a decent to great pitcher if one is available before all the cut throating begins at the trade deadline.
Who should they get, and what are they (can they) going to offer to get a deal done?
Also keep in mind until 3 starters got injured, our rotation and really the entire pitching staff was considered 1 of the best and deepest in baseball.
And it’s not like Stearns is doing something out of character for him all the sudden.
Walden was outstanding in Boston’s bullpen in 2019 then fell off the map. Just goes to show how volatile relief pitchers really are
Next Junior Guerra?