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Enoli Paredes

Braves, Enoli Paredes Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Braves are in agreement with reliever Enoli Paredes on a minor league contract, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 (X link). Paredes will get a non-roster invite to major league camp.

It was a short free agent stay for the 29-year-old righty. The Cubs sent him through outright waivers last week. He elected free agency at that point but apparently emerged as a priority depth target for the Atlanta front office. Paredes posted strong numbers in a limited sample with the Brewers and Cubs this year.

In 21 2/3 innings between the two teams, he combined for a 1.66 earned run average. Discouraging peripherals led teams to pass on claiming him off waivers last week. Paredes only managed an 18.4% strikeout rate and walked more than 11% of opponents. Throwing strikes has always been an issue. Paredes posted double digit walk rates as a member of the Astros between 2020-22.

While he hasn’t missed many bats at the big league level, Paredes posted monster strikeout numbers with Milwaukee’s Triple-A team. He fanned nearly 40% of hitters en route to a 1.73 ERA over 26 innings at the top minor league level. He sits in the 94-95 MPH range with his fastball and features a mid-80s slider as his secondary pitch.

Paredes is out of options. If he pitches his way to an MLB job in Atlanta, the Braves would need to keep him on the roster or send him back into DFA limbo. They have a solid high-leverage core but a few spots up for grabs in the middle innings. A.J. Minter hit free agency while Joe Jiménez underwent knee surgery that might cost him the entire season.

Cubs Claim Rob Zastryzny, Designate Jimmy Herget

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The Cubs announced that left-hander Rob Zastryzny has been claimed off waivers from the Brewers. Righty Jimmy Herget was designated for assignment in a corresponding move, and Chicago also outrighted four other players off their 40-man roster: catcher Christian Bethancourt, and right-handers Yency Almonte, Enoli Paredes, and Colten Brewer.  All four players elected free agency after clearing waivers.

Zastryzny, 32, spent the first three seasons of his career with the Cubs. He was a second-round pick by Chicago back in 2013 but has since bounced around the league, spending big league time with the Mets, Angels, Pirates and Brewers since departing the Cubs following the 2018 season. He’s also had minor league stints in the Dodgers and Marlins organizations. In 2024, Zastryzny yielded just one run in 7 2/3 MLB frames as a Brewer, nicely complementing a 3.03 ERA and 32.5% strikeout rate in 29 1/3 Triple-A frames. He has another five seasons of club control remaining, but as a depth claim, there’s no guarantee he’ll last the offseason on the 40-man roster.

Herget, 31, spent the bulk of the season with the Braves after a two-year stint in the Angels organization. The Cubs claimed him off waivers in mid-September but didn’t use him in the big leagues. He logged 12 1/3 innings with Atlanta and notched a 4.38 ERA (six runs) with a 15-to-3 K/BB ratio. In 155 big league innings, Herget carries a 3.54 ERA with a slightly below-average 22.2% strikeout rate and a sharp 7.4% walk rate.

Herget is out of minor league options, so any team that places a claim would need to carry Herget on the big league roster to begin next season. If he clears waivers, he’ll become a free agent and likely seek a minor league contract in free agency. He’s arbitration-eligible for the first time but comes with just a $900K projected salary, per MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz.

Of the outrighted players, each of Almonte, Bethancourt and Brewer were also arb-eligible. Swartz projected the trio for respective salaries of $2.2MM, $2.5MM and $800K, respectively. Almonte came to the Cubs alongside Michael Busch in last offseason’s trade with the Dodgers, but a shoulder strain limited him to 15 2/3 innings. Bethancourt is a rocket-armed, journeyman catcher who provided little with the bat at a position where the Cubs are seeking offensive upgrades. Brewer has been with four organizations over the past three seasons but posted a 5.66 ERA in 20 2/3 innings with the Cubs this season.

Paredes, 29, posted a 1.66 ERA in 21 1/3 innings between the Brewers and Cubs (just one scoreless inning for the latter team). However, he did so with a middling 18.4% strikeout rate and worrying 11.5% walk rate — all while also showing a heater that averaged 93.9 mph, which is nearly two miles per hour slower than the 95.7 mph he displayed in his 2020 debut. Paredes thrived in part due to a tiny .220 average on balls in play and a bloated 84% strand rate. Like Herget, he’s out of minor league options.

Assuming Herget clears waivers, all five players jettisoned from Chicago’s 40-man roster today appear ticketed for minor league deals on the open market.

Cubs Claim Enoli Paredes

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The Cubs have claimed right-hander Enoli Paredes off waivers from the Brewers, per Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune on X. The righty had been designated for assignment by Milwaukee last week. The Cubs had a 40-man vacancy after righty Shawn Armstrong was designated for assignment last week and won’t need to make a corresponding move in that regard.

Paredes, 28, started the year with the Brewers on a minor league deal. He kicked things off with a complete lights-out performance in Triple-A. He tossed 20 2/3 innings over 18 appearances for Nashville with a 1.31 earned run average. He walked a fairly high 11% of batters faced but also struck out 41.5% of opponents and kept 56.8% of balls in play on the ground.

He was added to the big league roster in May and has had mixed results since. Forearm inflammation sent him to the injured list for about two months from July to September. Around that, he made 17 appearances for the Brewers with a 1.74 ERA. Though that number looks nice, his 16.7% strikeout rate and 11.9% walk rate were subpar, with his 44.8% ground ball rate around average. A tiny .224 batting average on balls in play and 84% strand rate were helping him out, which is why his 3.55 FIP and 4.95 SIERA aren’t nearly as nice as his SIERA.

The Brewers decided to quit while they were ahead and move on. Since Paredes exhausted his option years while with the Astros earlier in his career, they had to remove him from the 40-man entirely to get him off the active roster.

The Cubs are eliminated from the postseason picture this year and have presumably grabbed Paredes as a long-term play, looking at his early Triple-A results and window of control. He has just over two years of major league service time and still won’t be arbitration eligible by this winter. Though he is out of options, he can be retained for four more seasons if he manages to hang onto his roster spot.

Brewers Designate Enoli Paredes For Assignment

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The Brewers announced that right-hander Kevin Herget has been recalled from Triple-A Nashville. fellow righty Enoli Paredes has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move. The club’s 40-man roster count drops to 39.

Paredes, 28, signed a minor league deal with the Brewers in the offseason. He started the year with 18 strong Triple-A appearances, allowing 1.31 earned runs per nine innings. His 11% walk rate in that time was high but he struck out a huge 41.5% of batters faced and also got grounders on 56.8% of balls in play, earning himself a call-up to the big leagues.

Since then, the surface level results have been good, though with less impressive stuff under the hood. He spent about two months on the injured list from early July to the middle of September but has tossed 20 2/3 big league innings around that. The 1.74 ERA looks impressive but his 16.7% strikeout rate and 11.9% walk rate are both subpar, while his 44.8% ground ball rate is right around league average. He’s been helped by a .224 batting average on balls in play and 84% strand rate, which is why his 3.56 FIP and 4.95 SIERA are both far higher than his ERA.

It seems the Brewers didn’t expect him to maintain his run prevention and bumped him off the roster. He’s out of options, so they had to cut him from the 40-man entirely. He won’t have much short-term appeal on the waiver wire since he won’t be postseason eligible with any acquiring club.

Paredes can be retained for four seasons beyond this one. Perhaps some club will be intrigued by his dominant form in the minors earlier this year and put in a claim with long-term goals. However, his major league results this year line up with his longer track record. He pitched for the Astros from 2020 to 2022, logging 32 1/3 innings with a 3.90 ERA, 23.6% strikeout rate, 19.7% walk rate and 44.7% ground ball rate. If he were to go unclaimed, he could elect free agency by virtue of having a previous career outright.

Brewers Activate Enoli Paredes From 60-Day IL

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The Brewers reinstated reliever Enoli Paredes from the 60-day injured list. He rejoins the bullpen for tonight’s game in San Francisco. Milwaukee optioned Elvis Peguero to Triple-A Nashville in a corresponding move. To open a 40-man roster spot, the Brewers transferred southpaw Rob Zastryzny to the 60-day IL.

Paredes has been down since early July on account of forearm inflammation. Milwaukee moved the righty to the 60-day IL when they activated DL Hall last month. Paredes, who signed a minor league deal last November, has gotten good results in 14 appearances since the Brewers selected his contract in May. He’s allowed just two runs through 16 2/3 innings, although his 12:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio isn’t particularly encouraging.

That’s broadly in line with Paredes’ career work. He pitched with the Astros between 2020-22 and managed a decent 3.90 earned run average despite huge walk tallies. Paredes has been utterly dominant in Triple-A this season, striking out nearly 40% of opponents with a 1.73 ERA in 26 innings. He’s out of options, so the Brewers can’t send him back to Nashville without running him through waivers.

Zastryzny has been out since July 25 with elbow tendinitis. The injury cropped back up when he tried to start a rehab assignment last month. Today’s transfer officially rules Zastryzny out until the final week of the regular season. It’s not clear if he’ll be healthy enough to return this year. Working mostly as an opener, the lefty has logged 7 2/3 frames of one-run ball since Milwaukee called him up at the end of June.

Brewers Activate DL Hall From 60-Day IL

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The Brewers have activated left-hander DL Hall from the 60-day injured list, the team announced. In a pair of corresponding moves, the club placed left-hander Hoby Milner on the 15-day IL and transferred right-hander Enoli Paredes to the 60-day IL. Hall will start for Milwaukee tonight, as the Brewers attempt to complete a series sweep over the Reds (per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com).

Hall, 25, came over to the Brewers this past offseason as part of the trade return for Corbin Burnes. While he primarily pitched out of the bullpen during brief stints with Baltimore in 2022 and ’23, he returned to a full-time starting role with Milwaukee. Unfortunately, he landed on the IL with a left knee sprain just four starts into his season, and setbacks have kept him on the shelf ever since. As he rejoins the Brewers rotation, he will look to improve upon his 7.71 ERA and 5.49 SIERA over 16.1 innings this year. It remains unclear how manager Pat Murphy plans to align his rotation moving forward. He has been forced to navigate starting pitching injuries all season, but now the skipper finds himself with six capable arms: Freddy Peralta, Frankie Montas, Colin Rea, Tobias Myers, Aaron Civale, and Hall.

Milner, 33, has pitched well for the Brewers this season. He ranks second on the team in relief innings, and his underlying numbers (3.26 SIERA, 3.27 xERA) are much better than his 4.92 ERA. The southpaw has been especially dominant against left-handed batters (23:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio), but he has held his own against opposite-handed opponents, much like he has throughout his tenure in Milwaukee. Over four years with the Brewers, Milner has a 2.72 FIP against lefty batters and a 4.02 FIP against right-handers. His injury, described as a left shoulder impingement, is not particularly unusual or worrisome (per McCalvy), but it will keep him out until at least August 24.

Meanwhile, Paredes saw good results (1.08 ERA) over 14 games with Milwaukee after the team selected his contract in late May. Regrettably, the 28-year-old landed on the injured list with right forearm tendinitis in early July. He will be eligible to return on September 1, but it is unclear if his injury will keep him out significantly longer. The Brewers have not provided many details about his status, but going on the 60-day IL with forearm trouble is often a bad sign.

In additional Brewers news, McCalvy reports that reliever Bryan Hudson is back in Milwaukee and should be activated soon. He has been on the IL with an oblique injury since late July. The 27-year-old southpaw has a 1.60 ERA and 2.98 SIERA in 50 2/3 innings this season. Trevor Megill, another key piece of the Brewers bullpen, will throw live batting practice tomorrow, and if all goes well, he will begin a rehab assignment after that. Megill has a 2.41 ERA and 2.93 SIERA this season. Like Hudson, he has been on the IL since late July; he has been nursing a low back strain.

Brewers Place Joey Ortiz On Injured List

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The Brewers announced a series of roster moves today. Infielder Joey Ortiz was placed on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to July 2, with neck inflammation. Right-hander Enoli Paredes landed on the 15-day IL due to right forearm tendinitis. Infielder Vinny Capra and right-hander Janson Junk were recalled in corresponding moves.

Ortiz, 25, came over to the Brewers in the offseason trade that sent Corbin Burnes to the Orioles, with Milwaukee also receiving left-hander DL Hall and a competitive balance draft pick. Ortiz has made the most immediate impact in Milwaukee, as Hall has spent much of the year on the injured list and the draft has not yet taken place.

Since joining the Brewers, Ortiz has taken firm hold of the everyday third base job. In 74 games, he has stepped to the plate 256 times, drawing a walk in 13.7% of those while limiting his strikeouts to a 16.8% clip. He has seven home runs and a batting line of .269/.373/.444, which translates to a wRC+ of 134. He’s also stolen five bases and received strong grades for his defense at the hot corner, leading FanGraphs to credit him with 2.5 wins above replacement so far this year.

It doesn’t appear as though he’s slated for a lengthy absence. The issue first cropped up a week ago and he has been in and out of the lineup since then. Speculatively speaking, the fact that he didn’t immediately go on the IL and even played through the issue a bit suggests that it’s fairly minor and he could return after a quick rest period.

But it’s still less than ideal for the Brewers to lose a player of that caliber, especially when they’ve already been hit hard by the injury bug. The rotation has been the worst hit, with five starters currently on the 60-day IL in Brandon Woodruff, Wade Miley, Robert Gasser, Joe Ross and Hall. That prompted the club to make a deadline deal ahead of schedule by trading for Aaron Civale earlier today. On the position player side of things, Ortiz joins Gary Sánchez and Oliver Dunn on the IL.

The Brewers have been leading the Central for much of the year but the Cardinals have been surging of late, having pulled to within six games of Milwaukee. The Brewers will obviously be hoping to get Ortiz back in short order to keep them in that strong position as the July 30 trade deadline gets closer.

Andruw Monasterio has been getting much of the third base playing time recently with Ortiz out and could perhaps continue to do so, though he’s hitting just .196/.297/.286 on the year. Capra will likely be in a multi-positional bench role, as he can play all over but has hit .246/.333/.350 for a wRC+ of 80 in Triple-A this year.

The club gave outfielder Sal Frelick some third base reps during Spring Training, but Garrett Mitchell’s injury opened up outfield playing time for him. Mitchell was reinstated from the IL on Monday, slotting back into the outfield mix next to Frelick, Christian Yelich, Jackson Chourio and Blake Perkins.

Manager Pat Murphy addressed the possibility of Frelick returning to third base this week, now that the outfield picture is crowded again. Per Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on X, Murphy said it “could happen” but he wasn’t expecting it any time soon. It’s unclear whether Ortiz landing on the IL today will change that framing. Monasterio is at the hot corner in tonight’s lineup.

Brewers Select Enoli Paredes

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2:30pm: The Brewers have made it official, selecting Paredes and optioning right-hander Bradley Blalock as the corresponding move.

2:10pm: The Brewers are calling up right-hander Enoli Paredes, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 on X. The righty is not currently on the club’s 40-man roster, but the Brewers are only at 39 at the moment. They will need to make a move to open a spot on the active roster.

Paredes, 28, signed a minor league deal with the Brewers in the offseason. He’s been with Triple-A Nashville so far this year with excellent overall results, though some slight control issues. He has tossed 20 2/3 innings for the Sounds over 18 appearances, allowing 1.31 earned runs per nine frames. 56.8% of the balls in play he’s allowed have been on the ground and he has struck out a massive 41.5% of batters faced.

His 11% walk rate is on the high side but he’s obviously been able to work around that with those strikeouts and grounders. It will likely be something to monitor going forward, however, as the free passes have been a problem for him before. He pitched 32 1/3 innings in the majors for the Astros over the 2020-22 seasons with a solid 3.90 ERA. In that time, he had a 23.6% strikeout rate and 44.7% ground ball rate but also gave out walks to 19.7% of batters that stepped to the plate. In 141 1/3 minor league innings from 2021 to 2023, he punched out 31.4% of opponents but gave out walks at a 15.7% clip.

The Astros outrighted him off their roster at the end of last season, which allowed the Brewers to land him on a minor league deal. Paredes exhausted his final option last year, which likely played a role in Houston moving on from him.

His strong performance this year will now get him another chance in the big leagues. If he can keep the walks under control, as he has been doing in Triple-A this year, he could be a nice find for the Milwaukee bullpen. He has less than two years of service time and could be kept around for years to come if things click for him. But since he’s out of options, he’ll need to pitch well enough to justify his spot on the active roster.

Brewers Sign Enoli Paredes, Jared Koenig To Minor League Deals

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The Brewers have signed pitchers Enoli Paredes and Jared Koenig to minor league contracts, tweets Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. Both will be in MLB camp as non-roster invitees.

Paredes elected free agency a few weeks ago after being waived by the Astros. The right-hander had previously spent his entire career in the Houston organization. Paredes pitched out of Dusty Baker’s bullpen at times from 2020-22, tallying 32 1/3 innings over 37 cumulative appearances. He worked to a 3.90 ERA but walked almost a fifth of opposing hitters.

Now 28, Paredes spent the entire 2023 season on optional assignment to Houston’s Triple-A club. He allowed 4.80 earned runs per nine over 54 1/3 innings in the Pacific Coast League. While Paredes’ 27.3% strikeout rate there was solid, his 18.6% walk percentage was similarly untenable as the mark he’s managed in his MLB career. He has a mid-90s heater but will need to dramatically improve his strike-throwing to carve out a spot in the middle innings for Milwaukee.

Koenig, 30 in January, also spent all of 2023 in Triple-A. He was in the Padres system on a minor league pact. Koenig allowed an even 5.00 ERA over 45 frames with their top affiliate in El Paso. He kept the ball on the ground at a 51.1% clip with slightly worse than average strikeout and walk marks.

His only major league work came in 2022. Koenig pitched 39 1/3 innings over 10 appearances (five starts) with Oakland. The soft-tossing lefty posted a 5.72 ERA while striking out 12.4% of opponents in green and gold. He could provide the Brew Crew with long relief depth in Triple-A if he doesn’t break camp.

Enoli Paredes To Elect Free Agency

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The Astros have assigned right-hander Enoli Paredes outright to Triple-A, per a club announcement. There had been no prior indication Paredes was on waivers. The move leaves the Astros with 37 players on their 40-man roster. Paredes is electing free agency, per Ari Alexander of KRPC 2 (X link).

Paredes, 28, was added to the club’s roster prior to the 2020 campaign. He made 22 appearances for them in that shortened campaign but has mostly been on optional assignment for the past three years. He has now tallied 37 major league appearances in total with an earned run average of 3.90. His 23.6% strikeout rate is around league average but his 19.7% walk rate is roughly double par.

In 2023, he spent most of his time at Triple-A, with a 4.80 ERA over 54 1/3 innings. His 27.3% strikeout rate was strong but he again struggled with free passes, giving them out to 18.6% of hitters at that level. Beyond his control issues, he’s also set to be out of options next year, meaning he will have less roster flexibility going forward. Both of those factors likely led to the Astros removing him from the roster.

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