Player News
-
Baez was released by the Dodgers on Saturday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. Baez was an effective high-leverage reliever for the Dodgers several seasons ago, though he wasn't able to latch onto a role in the majors in Los Angeles or Houston this season. He'll look for his next opportunity around the league, which is likely to come on a minor-league deal.
-
Baez joined the Dodgers' Triple-A affiliate in Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Eric Stephen of SBNation.com reports. Baez signed on for his second stint with Los Angeles on May 20, and he pitched five games in the Arizona Complex League before being shifted to Oklahoma City. The veteran reliever made his Triple-A debut on his first day with the club and gave up two runs on three hits and a walk over two-thirds of an inning, but he was better his second time out, tossing a scoreless frame Saturday. However, his fastball averaged just 90 mph in that contest, per Stephen, which is in line with the considerable velocity drop he experienced before being released by the Astros. Baez will likely need to find a way to boost his fastball back up or to show prolonged success with a diminished arsenal before he's brought back up to the big leagues.
-
Baez agreed to a minor-league deal with the Dodgers on Thursday, Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times reports. The veteran right-hander was let go by the Astros in late April and will now have a reunion with the Dodgers. Baez allowed three runs over 2.1 innings for Houston this season, but the larger issue is that his fastball velocity averaged only 89.1 mph, which is a far cry from the mid-90s fastball he featured only two years ago. He was a staple of the Los Angeles bullpen and had a 3.03 ERA with 100 holds from 2014 to 2020, but since then he's fallen off considerably and will need to illustrate he's worthy of another chance in the big leagues.
-
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.
-
Baez was designated for assignment by the Astros on Tuesday, Brian McTaggart of MLB.com reports. Baez has appeared in only three games over the first few weeks of the season and gave up three earned runs on five hits with three walks and two strikeouts over 2.1 innings. The 34-year-old signed a two-year, $12.5 million deal with Houston in January of 2021, but he only ended up pitching 4.1 frames last year before his early struggles in 2022.
Recent Tweets
Last 7 Games
| DATE | Opp | W | L | S | INN | HA | ERA | BBI | K | WHIP |
|---|