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Asher Wojciechowski

Mariners Release Asher Wojciechowski, Ian McKinney

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The Mariners have released right-hander Asher Wojciechowski and left-hander Ian McKinney from their minor league contracts, according to Triple-A Tacoma director of media relations Paul Braverman (Twitter link).  Both Wojciechowski and McKinney initially re-signed with Seattle in February.

Wojciechowski has pitched in parts of five MLB seasons since 2015, including a single game with the Yankees during the 2021 campaign.  After being released by New York last summer, Wojciechowski signed on with the Mariners on a minors contract but didn’t receive a call to the big leagues, and he elected free agency once the offseason began.

The righty has a 5.93 ERA over 202 career innings, in large part due to a whopping 45 home runs allowed.  A first-round pick for the Blue Jays back in 2010, the 33-year-old Wojciechowski has become a journeyman, pitching with nine different organizations at the major and minor league levels across 13 pro seasons.

McKinney is only 27 years old, but has nine seasons in the minors on his resume, pitching in the Cardinals system from 2013-18 and then joining the Mariners in 2019 following a brief stint in independent ball.  The southpaw didn’t reach the Triple-A level until 2021 but the results haven’t been good — McKinney has a 7.22 ERA, 15.86% strikeout rate, and 12.75% walk rate over 76 innings in Tacoma in 2021-22.

While neither pitcher was performing well for the Rainiers, the releases do remove two swingman/long relief options from the Mariners’ depth chart.  The M’s have gotten a lot of stability out of their rotation this year, with Marco Gonzalez, Robbie Ray, Logan Gilbert, and Chris Flexen all making their starts, and star prospect George Kirby stepping with some quality work after Matt Brash struggled over five outings.

Mariners, Asher Wojciechowski Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Mariners have agreed to bring righty Asher Wojciechowski back to the organization on a minor league contract, per their official transactions log. The journeyman starter signed on with the M’s on a minor league deal back in July but didn’t get a call to the big leagues. He subsequently became a minor league free agent at season’s end, thus allowing him to sign a minor league deal this offseason.

Wojciechowski, 33, has seen action in parts of five big league seasons, including in each of the past three. He appeared in just one game with the 2021 Yankees, allowing a pair of runs over four innings in a spot start, but was a fairly consistent presence with the Orioles in 2019-20. Baltimore originally acquired Wojciechowski from Cleveland in a cash deal back in 2019, and it looked as though he might simply make a spot start or two at the time of the swap.

Instead, Wojciechowski pitched well enough to quickly grab a spot in a patchwork O’s rotation. He worked to a 3.60 ERA in his first 30 innings, providing the Orioles plenty of reason to give him some leash from there on. Overall, while Wojciechowski didn’t exactly dominate, he gave an Orioles roster that was desperate for pitching a total of 82 1/3 innings of 4.92 ERA ball from July 2 through season’s end.

That proved enough for the O’s to keep Wojciechowski on the 40-man roster all winter, and he headed into the shortened 2020 season with a rotation spot. He continued to hold his own through the first four starts of the 2020 season, but after a swift decline — 19 runs over his next 18 1/3 frames — Wojciechowski was designated for assignment and passed through outright waivers.

Overall, Wojciechowski has 202 innings at the big league level, albeit with an unsightly 5.93 ERA to show for it. He’s fanned a respectable 21.9% of his opponents and posted a better-than-average 7.9% walk rate, but Wojciechowski is also an extreme fly-ball pitcher who’s shown a proclivity for surrendering the long ball. Most of his big time in the Majors has been spent in homer-friendly home parks — Houston, Cincinnati, Baltimore, the Bronx — so if he makes it to Seattle, perhaps T-Mobile Park could help to slightly reduce that problem. Still, with an average of 2.0 homers per nine innings pitched, Wojciechowski’s struggles go beyond the dimensions of his home parks.

As things stand, Wojciechowski is a pure depth option for the M’s. Seattle inked reigning Cy Young winner Robbie Ray to lead its staff in 2022 and beyond. He’ll be followed by stalwart southpaw Marco Gonzales, promising sophomore Logan Gilbert and righty Chris Flexen — a KBO reclamation project that has turned into a resound success for the M’s. Former top prospects Justus Sheffield and Justin Dunn could factor into the mix as well, but the general expectation is that the Mariners will add another veteran to round out the rotation in the days and weeks coming out of the lockout.

Wojciechowski isn’t likely to emerge as an option unless the Mariners incur several injuries, but as far as depth options go, a well-traveled veteran with a 4.33 ERA in 664 2/3 Triple-A innings is a solid one to have on hand.

Mariners Sign Asher Wojciechowski

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The Mariners have signed right-hander Asher Wojciechowski to a minor league deal, reports Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times (Twitter link). He’ll be assigned to Triple-A Tacoma.

Seattle will be Wojciechowski’s second organization of the 2021 season. He signed a minor league deal with the Yankees over the winter but spent much of the year on the injured list. New York selected Wojciechowski to make a spot start against the Phillies last week. He tossed four innings of two-run ball but was designated for assignment the following day.

New York passed Wojciechowski through outright waivers, but he rejected a new minor league assignment and elected free agency. He’ll now add some depth to a Mariners starting staff that’s still pretty thin, even after yesterday’s acquisition of Tyler Anderson from the Pirates. Over 12 2/3 innings with the Yankees’ top affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Wojciechowski allowed eight runs but struck out seventeen and issued only five walks.

Asher Wojciechowski Elects Free Agency

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Right-hander Asher Wojciechowski has rejected the Yankees’ outright assignment to Triple-A and elected to become a free agent, the team announced.  New York designated Wojciechowski for assignment earlier this week.

After signing a minors deal with the Yankees this past offseason, Wojciechowski’s tenure in the Bronx lasted just one Major League game — a spot start against the Phillies on Wednesday that saw the righty allow two runs in four innings of what ended up as a 6-5 Yankees victory.

Wojciechowski will now head back onto the open market, after having already been a member of 10 different organizations during a pro career that began when the Blue Jays selected him 41st overall in the 2010 draft.  Wojciechowski has pitched for five teams at the MLB level, with a 5.93 ERA over 202 career innings over parts of five seasons.  Since Wojciechowski had also been outrighted off a big league roster in the past (by the Orioles last September), it was his right to refuse another outright assignment and opt for free agency.

Yankees Designate Asher Wojciechowski For Assignment, Select Sal Romano

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The Yankees announced Thursday that they’ve selected the contract of righty Sal Romano from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and cleared a spot on the active and 40-man rosters by designating right-hander Asher Wojciechowski for assignment.

Wojciechowski, 32, was selected to the roster just yesterday and started last night’s game for the Yanks, holding the Phillies to a pair of runs on three hits and three walks with four strikeouts in four innings. That’ll prove to be little more than a spot start for the well-traveled Wojciechowski, who must now be traded, released or placed on outright waivers within the next week.

The Yankees were Wojciechowski’s fourth big league club in seven years. He spent the 2019-20 campaigns with the Orioles and got out to a solid start in 2019 before struggling mightily during last year’s shortened schedule. Last night’s outing took Wojciechowski past the 200-inning mark in his MLB career, and he’s worked to a 5.93 ERA with a 21.5 percent strikeout rate and a 7.9 percent walk rate in that time. Home runs have been a problem for the former No. 41 overall pick, but he’s continued to find work as a depth option for situations much like this one. Wojciechowski owns a career 4.29 ERA in 647 1/3 innings of Triple-A ball.

In Romano, the Yankees are turning to another former Reds right-hander. The 27-year-old New York native was once considered one of the more promising arms in the Reds’ minor league ranks, but he’s struggled in several opportunities after a solid rookie showing back in 2017. Romano worked to a 4.45 ERA and 4.24 FIP in 87 innings as a rookie, but he’s been worked over for a 5.48 ERA/5.13 FIP in 184 innings since.

To his credit, Romano has consistently fared well in Triple-A — including in a relatively short look with the Yankees’ Scranton affiliate in 2021. He’s spent parts of three seasons at the Triple-A level and logged a combined 3.42 ERA in 142 frames. Romano’s 20.3 percent strikeout rate there is below average, but he’s also notched a solid 7.8 percent walk rate and a strong 49.8 percent ground-ball rate in that time.

Yankees Select Asher Wojciechowski, Outright Hoy Jun Park

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July 21: The Yankees formally selected Wojciechowski’s contract today and opened a spot on the 40-man roster by outrighting infielder Hoy Jun Park off the 40-man roster.

Park, 25, received just one plate appearance with the Yankees during his initial call to the Majors. Yanks fans have been clamoring for him to get a look in the big leagues after he batted .325/.475/.541 in 206 Triple-A plate appearances this season, but it seems that in spite of that strong showing, Park won’t get much of a big league look — at least for the time being.

July 20: The Yankees are planning to select the contract of right-hander Asher Wojciechowski, manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including Kristie Ackert of the New York Daily News). He’ll get the ball tomorrow evening against the Phillies. The Yankees have a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so no corresponding move will be necessary in that regard.

Wojciechowski has previously pitched in the big leagues for the Astros, Reds and Orioles. He’s tallied 198 innings at the highest level over parts of four seasons, working to a cumulative 5.95 ERA/4.67 SIERA. Wojciechowski throws a high number of strikes, but he misses bats at a slightly below-average level and is an extreme fly ball pitcher, which has led to some problems with the home run ball.

New York signed Wojciechowski to a minor league deal in January. The 32-year-old didn’t make his season debut with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre until late June after leaving a Spring Training outing with lat discomfort. He’s made four appearances since returning, none of which have lasted more than four innings, so he’s unlikely to work particularly deep into tomorrow’s start. Wojciechowski has a decent 4.29 ERA over parts of eight Triple-A campaigns.

Yankees, Asher Wojciechowski Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Yankees have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Asher Wojciechowski and invited him to Major League Spring Training, reports USA Today’s Bob Nightengale (Twitter link). The ISE client would earn $750K if he cracks the Yankees’ big league roster in 2021.

The 32-year-old Wojciechowski spent the 2019-20 seasons with the Orioles, who acquired him from Cleveland in exchange for cash midway through the 2019 campaign. While he at first looked to have been picked up just to make a spot start or two, Wojciechowski held his own throughout the balance of the 2019 season, earning a spot in the O’s rotation both that year and again in 2020 in the process. The 2020 season, however, proved another story, as Wojciechowski was tagged for a 6.82 ERA in 37 innings before being cut loose by the O’s.

Overall, Wojciechowski has spent parts of four seasons in the Majors but struggled to a 5.95 ERA through 198 innings. He’s turned in a respectable 21.6 percent strikeout rate in that time, sitting right around the league average, and Wojciechowski has a solid track record in Triple-A, as well. Through 635 innings at the top minor league level, he’s logged a 4.27 ERA.

Wojciechowski has only hit the injured list four times in his professional career — twice within a year of being drafted back in 2010 — so he’s a durable depth piece to stash in the upper minors for a Yankees club that currently has some question marks on its starting staff.

Orioles Outright Asher Wojciechowski, Release Mason Williams

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The Orioles have sent right-hander Asher Wojciechowski outright to Triple-A Norfolk after he cleared waivers and released outfielder Mason Williams from their alternate training site in Bowie, per a club announcement. That Wojciechowski was outrighted to Norfolk and not to the alternate site indicates that he has been removed from the team’s player pool.

Barring a new minor league pact this winter, it seems likely that this will end Wojciechowski’s time with the Orioles. He’s been outrighted in the past and will be eligible to opt for free agency after the season. (Technically, he could do so immediately, although it’s hard to imagine him latching on with another club with such limited time remaining on the schedule.)

Baltimore picked Wojciechowski up from Cleveland in exchange for cash last summer, plugging the journeyman into a rotation vacancy that he he ultimately turned into a full-time spot for more than a year. He posted serviceable numbers in 2019, logging a 4.92 ERA with an 80-to-28 K/BB ratio in 82 1/3 frames, and even tossed a 10-strikeout, 7 1/3-inning scoreless gem against the Red Sox in his best Baltimore outing. However, the 2020 campaign saw Wojciechowski limp to a 6.81 ERA and 6.67 FIP in 37 frames, and the O’s eventually moved on to younger options.

The 31-year-old Wojciechowski has spent parts of four seasons in the Majors, also appearing with the Astros and Reds, although that 2019 season in Baltimore was his best in the Majors. He has a solid Triple-A track record and plenty of experience at that level (635 innings), so he could serve as a depth option elsewhere in the league this winter or perhaps field interest from teams overseas.

As for the 29-year-old Williams, he appeared in 21 games with the O’s from 2019-20 but hit just .208/.250/.271 in 52 plate appearances. He was outrighted to the alternate site earlier this month. The former top prospect has never found his footing in the Majors. He did slash .293/.331/.398 in 132 plate appearances with the 2018 Reds, but that marked his career-high in plate appearances at the MLB level. He’s a .272/.309/.370 hitter in the big leagues and carries a .746 OPS through parts of five Triple-A seasons.

Orioles Designate Asher Wojciechowski For Assignment

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6:34pm: Zimmermann’s up, the Orioles announced.

11:44am: The Orioles have designated right-hander Asher Wojciechowski for assignment, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com reports (via Twitter). The team announced the move shortly thereafter, adding that righties Branden Kline and Evan Phillips are up for Game 1 of today’s doubleheader. Phillips is listed as the 29th man for the day.

It seems Wojciechowski’s 40-man roster spot will go to lefty Bruce Zimmermann. Kubatko tweets that Zimmermann is with the team, and MLB.com’s Joe Trezza reported last night that Zimmermann was being considered for his MLB debut on Thursday. The Orioles have since announced Zimmerman as the “probable” starter for the second game of today’s twin bill, so a move to formally add him to he roster will be made between the two games.

Acquired from the Indians in exchange for cash last July, Wojciechowski first looked to be a depth option to make a spot start or two but instead wound up holding down a spot on the pitching staff for more than a year. The 31-year-old appeared in 27 games for the O’s — 23 of them starts — and posted a 5.51 ERA with 8.4 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 30.2 percent grounder rate through 119 2/3 innings28. Wojciechowski’s K/BB numbers and swinging-strike rate were solid, but he proved far too susceptible to the long ball, surrendering 28 dingers in that time for an average of 2.11 per nine frames.

The 25-year-old Zimmermann was a fifth-round pick of the Braves back in 2017 but was traded to his hometown Orioles a year later in the deal that sent Kevin Gausman and Darren O’Day to Atlanta. He ranks as Baltimore’s No. 19 prospect on Baseball America’s midseason update and currently sits 25th on FanGraphs’ latest rankings of a much-improved Baltimore farm system. Both BA and FanGraphs list him as a potential back-of-the-rotation starter. Zimmermann sits 90-93 mph with his heater and has three secondary offerings, with his slider considered the best of the bunch.

Zimmermann split the 2019 season between Double-A and Triple-A, pitching to a combined 3.21 ERA with 8.6 K/9, 3.3 BB/9, 0.77 HR/9 and a 41.9 percent ground-ball rate. He’s not the highest-upside arm in the Orioles’ system — far from it — but Zimmermann still has a chance to either pitch at the back of the rotation or out of the bullpen for a good while in Baltimore. The team will control him through at least the 2026 season, though future optional assignments could push back his potential to reach free agency.

Orioles Notes: Cashner, Gausman, Joseph

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The Baltimore Orioles are looking for a slew of rotation candidates to push the holdovers in competition for their two to three open slots this winter. John Means and Alex Cobb appear locked into their turns, and Asher Wojciechowski has a spot to lose. MASN’s Roch Kubatko quoted GM Mike Elias recently, on Wojiechowski: “…if the season started today I think he’d absolutely project for a rotation spot if he shows up in good health at spring training.”

Still, from everything Elias has said so far this winter, his primary goal is to add enough pitching depth at the major league level such that they don’t get caught promoting prospects up the totem pole before they’re ready. Baltimorebaseball.com’s Rich Dubroff explores potential retreads, casting Kevin Gausman as likely out of Baltimore’s price range, while he sees an Andrew Cashner reboot as within the realm of possibility. Cashner does check a lot of boxes in that he won’t cost much, he’s good for 150 innings or so a year, and he won’t be cowed by having to wear one here and there for the rebuilding Orioles. The Athletic’s Dan Connolly adds his own list of potential rotation options like Martin Perez, Shelby Miller, Drew Smyly, Chad Bettis, and other reclamation projects of that ilk.

Caleb Joseph is another ex-Oriole who could return. Elias won’t necessarily be drawn to former Orioles the way others in the building might, but he is on the lookout for a veteran backstop to complete their catching quartet. Pedro Severino, 25, is a lock for one roster spot after a mini breakout at the plate that saw him put up a .249/.321/.420 line while starting just over half of Baltimore’s games. Statcast ranked his glovework in the bottom half of the league in both poptime and framing, while by Baseball Prospectus’ Fielding Runs Above Average, a -13.8 FRAA mark landed him next to last (Josh Phegley).

Chance Sisco should have a chance to claim the other spot, though his defensive marks didn’t grade out much better (-11.1 FRAA). Austin Wynns rounds out the group as presently constituted, though he spent most of last year in the minors.

The other well-known area of focus simply from the standpoint of needing to roster enough bodies to make it through a 162-game season is the middle infield. Hanser Alberto figures to see significant playing time at second, while Stevie Wilkerson, Dilson Herrera, Pat Valaika, Jose Rondon and Richie Martin make up the contenders, though nobody from that group is guaranteed – or even necessarily favored – to secure an Opening Day roster spot.

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