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The Astros released Baez on Thursday after he went unclaimed off waivers, Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle reports.
As anticipated, none of MLB's other 29 teams were willing to put in a waiver claim for Baez, who was designated for assignment Tuesday less than a month into his second season with Houston after he signed a two-year, $12.5 million deal in January 2021. The Astros ended up getting just seven relief appearances from Baez, who missed most of his inaugural campaign in Houston with a shoulder injury. He reported to spring training at full health but showed a considerable decline in his velocity, with his fastball averaging just 89.1 miles per hour over his three appearances this season. Considering that he routinely worked in the mid-to-upper-90s during his prime years with the Dodgers in the second half of this past decade, the 34-year-old Baez may have a tough time re-emerging as an effective reliever at the big-league level.
