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Brad Brach

Reds Sign Brad Brach To Minor League Deal

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While the Reds didn’t make a formal announcement, they inked veteran right-hander Brad Brach to a minor league contract earlier this week. Brach, a client of Big League Management, was listed as part of the Opening Day roster at Triple-A Louisville and pitched a scoreless frame of relief for the Bats last night (two strikeouts, one walk).

The 35-year-old righty spent Spring Training with the Royals and was selected to their MLB roster last month, but Kansas City designated him for assignment before he got into a game. Brach opted for free agency upon clearing waivers, which led to his new agreement with Cincinnati.

Though Brach struggled with the Mets through 12 1/3 frames last season, he brings to the Reds organization a lengthy track record of solid, late-inning relief work. He was an understated contributor to a pair of very good Orioles clubs in 2014-15 and gave the O’s a 2.99 ERA in parts of five seasons from ’14-’18. Brach notched a sub-4.00 ERA each year from 2012-18, striking out just north of a quarter of his opponents along the way. Walks were an issue at times (10.3 percent overall), but he logged a tidy 3.05 ERA through 449 innings and made an All-Star team during that seven-year peak.

It remains to be seen whether Brach can bounce back from a rough couple of seasons in 2019-20. His velocity dipped quite a bit last year, although he’d hardly be the only pitcher who suffered from a short build-up to the 60-game schedule in that regard. On a minor league deal for a Reds club that currently has setup man Michael Lorenzen on the 60-day IL due to shoulder concerns, Brach makes for a sensible roll of the dice.

Brad Brach Elects Free Agency

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Veteran reliever Brad Brach has cleared outright waivers and elected free agency, Lynn Worthy of the Kansas City Star reports. The Royals designated Brach for assignment on Saturday.

Brach had a short stay on the Royals’ roster, as the team designated him just one day after selecting his contract. The 35-year-old right-hander joined the Royals on a minor league contract over the winter, which came after the Mets designated him.

Brach has seen major league action with five teams since he debuted with the Padres in 2011, and he has enjoyed a solid career. Through 522 2/3 innings, Brach has registered a 3.39 ERA/3.78 SIERA with a 25.1 percent strikeout rate and an 11.1 percent walk rate. Unfortunately, though, Brach’s production has gone downhill dating back to 2019. Between the Cubs and Mets over the previous two seasons, he tossed 66 2/3 frames of 5.66 ERA ball (with a more palatable 4.91 SIERA) and logged a 24.7 percent strikeout rate against a 15.0 percent walk rate. While Brach has normally averaged around 94 mph on his fastball, that number dipped to a personal-worst 90.4 last year.

Royals Reinstate Greg Holland From IL, Designate Brad Brach

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The Royals have reinstated reliever Greg Holland from the injured list, the team announced.  To create roster space, right-hander Brad Brach has been designated for assignment.

It ended up being just a one-day stay for Holland on the COVID-related injury list, so the veteran righty will make a quick return to his role as Kansas City’s closer.  It hasn’t been a good start to the season for Holland, who has issued seven walks (against only six strikeouts) and allowed three homers over seven innings of work, resulting in a 6.43 ERA.  While it’s still early in the season, Holland’s job could certainly be in jeopardy if his struggles continue.  The Royals have gotten excellent results from such bullpen arms as Kyle Zimmer, Scott Barlow, Jake Brentz, and Josh Staumont thus far, and it’s possible one of those less-experienced hurlers could supplant Holland in the closer’s position, or the Royals could adopt a more situational approach to the ninth inning.

Brach’s minor league contract was selected yesterday in a response to Holland’s IL placement, and Brach didn’t get any action during last night’s 6-2 Royals victory over the Tigers.  The 35-year-old now heads into DFA limbo after that cup of coffee in the 2021 season, though it seems a decent bet that Brach will clear waivers and remain in the K.C. organization.  A very solid reliever for the Padres, Orioles, and Braves from 2012-18, Brach has been much less productive over the last two seasons, posting a 5.54 ERA over 66 2/3 innings since the start of the 2019 campaign.

Royals Place Greg Holland On IL, Select Brad Brach

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The Royals have placed right-hander Greg Holland on the injured list and selected the contract of righty Brad Brach, per a team announcement. The club didn’t provide a reason for Holland’s IL placement.

Holland was largely a great reliever with the Royals from 2010-15, but he underwent Tommy John surgery in the last of those seasons and missed the team’s World Series run. The procedure kept Holland out for all of 2016, and he then endured an up-and-down few years divided among the Rockies, Cardinals and Diamondbacks.

Holland returned to Kansas City last year on a minor league deal, which proved to be a steal for the Royals. He reclaimed his old job as the team’s closer, went 6-for-6 in save opportunities and pitched to a 1.91 ERA with a 27.7 percent strikeout rate against a 6.3 percent walk rate over 28 1/3 innings.

Holland’s bounce-back 2020 performance earned him a guaranteed contract this past winter, when he re-signed with the Royals on a one-year, $2.75MM pact. Unfortunately for Holland and KC, he hasn’t been nearly as successful this year. Thanks to a couple of poor outings – including his most recent appearance on Tuesday – the 35-year-old has recorded a 6.43 ERA with three home runs allowed and more walks (seven) than strikeouts (six) in seven frames.

Brach, also 35, joined the Royals on a minors pact shortly after the Mets cut him loose in February. While the well-traveled Brach has enjoyed a quality career (3.39 ERA through 522 2/3 innings), his production and velocity have tailed off of late. Brach amassed a combined 66 2/3 innings with the Cubs and Mets over the previous two seasons and posted a 5.54 ERA with a below-average 9.7 K-BB percentage (24.7 K, 15.0 BB). Worsening matters, Brach’s average fastball velo fell from the 94 mph range to a career-low 90.4 last season.

Royals Sign Brad Brach To Minors Deal

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The Royals have signed Brad Brach to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training, the team announced. Brach began the winter by exercising a $2.075MM player option to stay with the Mets, money still owed by New York. Last week the Mets designated Brach for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Jonathan Villar. He was later released after passing through waivers.

Brach struggled through a drop in velocity from 94.1 mph on his four-seamer in 2019 to just 90.3 mph in 2020. The fall in velocity coincided with a decline in four-seamer usage as Brach relied more heavily on an east-west moving cutter/slider, though he never found a groove during his 12 1/3 innings. He walked and stuck out an identical 24.1 percent of hitters, carrying over a command issue that plagued his half a season with the Cubs. He’d seemed to have figured it out over the back end of 2019 with the Mets, a 14 2/3 innings with a 3.68 ERA/2.67 FIP, 24.6 percent strikeout rate and sterling 4.9 percent walk rate. That’s a far better walk rate than Brach has been able to sustain elsewhere in his career, however, with an 8.0 percent walk rate being his absolute best mark over a full season.

Brach may find a bit of overcrowding in the Royals bullpen. Greg Holland, Josh Staumont, Scott Barlow, Jesse Hahn, Kyle Zimmer, and Jake Newberry can reasonable expect to find themselves on the roster given their 2020 performances. Jakob Junis could be bumped to the pen, and Wade Davis is in camp as a non-roster invitee. Tyler Zuber, Gabe Speier, and Richard Lovelady are also looking to secure spots, though they have options remaining

Mets Designate Brad Brach For Assignment

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The Mets announced that they have designated reliever Brad Brach for assignment. They did so to make room for the signing of infielder Jonathan Villar.

The well-traveled Brach joined the Mets in August 2019, shortly after the Cubs released him, and did well enough in the season’s final weeks for New York to re-sign him entering last year. Brach wasn’t able to follow up on that success, though, as he gave the Mets 12 1/3 innings of eight-earned run ball with just as many walks as strikeouts (14). Also of concern: Brach averaged just over 90 mph on his fastball – far below his lifetime mean of 93.6.

The soon-to-be 35-year-old Brach forewent another trip to free agency this past October when he chose to exercise a $2.075MM player option for 2021. However, Brach could soon head back to the open market if the Mets don’t find a taker for him in a trade, as he has enough service time to reject an outright assignment.

While 2020 was rocky for Brach, he has been durable and adept at preventing runs for most of his career. He has thrown at least 60 innings in six different seasons and has pitched to a 3.39 ERA/3.78 SIERA with an above-average strikeout rate of 25.1 percent over 522 2/3 frames.

Brad Brach Exercises Player Option

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Brad Brach exercised his $2.075MM player option to remain with the New York Mets, per Tim Healey of Newsday (via Twitter). That’s slightly more than had been previously reported, as Brach’s option had been listed as worth $1.25MM. He signed back with the Mets as a free agent this past December. He is represented by Brian Charles of Big League Management Company, LLC.

The 6’6″ sinkerballer experienced a discouraging drop in velocity in 2020. After averaging 94.1 mph on his four-seamer in 2019, his fastball clocked in at just 90.3 mph this year. Having previously been heavily reliant on his heater, throwing it roughly half the time, he threw it just 17.1% of the time in 2020. By usage, the four-seamer fell to fourth in his arsenal behind a cutter, change-up, and sinker. He made 14 appearances for the Mets in 2020, struggling to the tune of a 5.84 ERA/6.69 FIP across 12 1/3 innings with unfortunately matching 10.2 K/9 and 10.2 BB/9.

He had been a stabilizing presence for the Mets in 2019 after being signed off the scrap heap in August. The Cubs released him after a tough first half, but he rebounded with a 3.68 ERA/2.67 FIP in 14 2/3 innings across 16 appearances for the Mets. The right-handed reliever will again look to rebound in his age-35 season, which will be his 11th season as a big-leaguer. Overall, Brach has made 496 appearances out of the bullpen for the Padres, Orioles, Braves, Cubs, and Mets with a 3.39 ERA/3.76 FIP.

Mets Place Brad Brach, Jared Hughes On IL

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The Mets have placed relievers Brad Brach and Jared Hughes on the injured list, Tim Britton of The Athletic was among those to report. The team didn’t provide a reason in either case, but neither player has reported to Summer Camp yet.

Brach had great success with the Orioles and Braves earlier in his career, but his production took a negative turn in 2019 as a member of the Cubs. After signing a one-year, $3MM deal in free agency, he slumped to a 6.13 ERA and a bloated 6.4 BB/9 in 39 2/3 innings, leading the Cubs to release him in August. Brach then caught on with the Mets, with whom he tossed 14 2/3 innings of 3.68 ERA ball and posted 9.2 K/9 against 1.8 BB/9. That was enough for New York to bring him back on a one-year, $850K with a 2021 club option.

Hughes, meanwhile, just joined the Mets last month, signing a major league deal worth a prorated $700K. The former Pirate, Brewer, Red and Phillie brings a strong track record of preventing runs and keeping the ball on the ground, though his 4.04 ERA and 5.29 FIP from a year ago rank among the worst of his career.

Both Brach and Hughes have eaten up quite a bit of innings in recent years, and the Mets likely had similar plans for them entering this season. Now, though, it’s now unknown if or when they’ll be ready to go. However, the Mets do still have several well-established late-game arms they’ll be able to call on, including Dellin Betances, Seth Lugo, Edwin Diaz, Jeurys Familia, Justin Wilson and Robert Gsellman.

Mets Re-Sign Brad Brach

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2:55pm: Brach’s signing has been announced. The club designated righty Chris Flexen for assignment to create roster space.

1:13pm: The Mets have struck a deal with free agent righty Brad Brach, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic (via Twitter). He’s said to be promised a $850K salary for the 2020 season (on top of the $500K he’s already owed by the Cubs). Brach is a client of Big League Management.

While the single-season earnings are relatively modest, the deal does include a $1.25MM player option that provides a backstop for the 33-year-old reliever. The price tag goes up based upon the number of games he appears in. ($125K at 20 games; $350K apiece upon his 30th, 35th, 40th, 50th, 60th, and 65th appearances.) There are incentives in both years of the contract, also tied to appearances (beginning with his 50th).

Brach has deep ties to the area, having grown up and played his college ball in New Jersey. It was seen as something of a homecoming when he landed in Queens in the middle of the 2019 season. As I noted in previewing the Mets’ offseason, it seemed sensible to imagine a reunion.

Both team and player obviously enjoyed the experience. For the second-straight season, Brach turned around suboptimal results after swapping jerseys in the middle of the year. In 39 2/3 innings with the Cubs, Brach limped to a 6.13 ERA with 10.2 K/9 and an alarming 6.4 BB/9. But with the Mets, he allowed six earned runs in 14 2/3 frames while posting a strong 15:3 K/BB ratio.

What changed? Brach was pumping his customary 95 mph for most of his tenure in Chicago and continued upon moving to New York. But there was some chatter that Brach had been tipping his changeup. And pitch-tracking software identified a major shift in usage in favor of a cut fastball. The new approach worked, at least in a short sample.

For the Mets, this move plugs one bullpen opening with a known quantity who has late-inning experience. Brach is now a few years removed from his best years in Baltimore, but this seems like a nice price tag for the veteran. The Mets will still need to look for creative ways of boosting their relief unit.

Mets Sign Brad Brach

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The Mets have signed right-hander Brad Brach, as per the team’s Twitter feed.  Brandon Nimmo was shifted to the 60-day injured list to create a 40-man roster spot, while left-hander Donnie Hart was optioned to Triple-A to create space on New York’s active roster.

After being released earlier this week by the Cubs, the Mets are hopeful that a change of scenery can turn around what has been easily the roughest full season of Brach’s career.  The righty has a 6.13 ERA, 10.2 K/9, and 1.61 K/BB rate over 39 2/3 innings this season, with an ungainly 6.4 BB/9 and a career-high 37.4% hard-hit ball rate standing out as the biggest issues.  That said, Brach was perhaps a touch unlucky to post that big ERA, as his .375 BABIP and ERA predictors (4.13 FIP, 4.88 xFIP, 4.93 SIERA) could hint.

It’s worth noting that Brach also didn’t pitch well last season with the Orioles before a midseason trade to the Braves got him back on track, as Brach had a 1.52 ERA over 23 2/3 frames for Atlanta.  Overall, Brach has spent much of the decade as a solid-to-excellent relief arm for the Padres, Orioles, and Braves, posting a 3.05 ERA, 2.43 K/BB rate, and 9.4 K/9 over 449 innings from 2012-18.

Anything close to that performance would be a big help to a New York bullpen that has largely struggled this season, apart from a superlative year from Seth Lugo and some good work from southpaw Justin Wilson over his 21 innings with the club.  Edwin Diaz is ostensibly still the closer, though Lugo could potentially get more save opportunities down the stretch, so Brach could possibly step right into a setup role.

The Mets will only be paying Brach a prorated minimum salary for the remainder of the season, as the Cubs are covering the rest of the salary owed to Brach under the terms of his rather bonus-heavy one-year contract.  The deal also contains a dual option for 2020 — the Mets can either pay Brach $5MM or buy him out for $100K.  If the latter option occurs, Brach can enact a player option worth $1.35MM.

Though Brodie Van Wagenen has only been the Mets’ general manager for less than a year, the club had interest in Brach prior to the 2018 season, Mike Puma of the New York Post reports.  A Brach-for-Matt Harvey deal was discussed between the Mets and Orioles, which creates an interesting what-if scenario for fans.

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