Brewers Claim RHP Blake Parker off Waivers; Designate RHP David Goforth for Assignment

In advance of the Thanksgiving holiday tomorrow and the forthcoming four day weekend, the Milwaukee Brewers announced a roster move earlier today. Per the club’s Twitter account, Milwaukee has claimed right-handed pitcher Blake Parker off waivers from the Angels. Parker had only recently been claimed by the Angels on October 5th, but was DFA’d by Los Angeles in advance of the Rule 5 Draft protection deadline last Friday. To make room for Parker on the 40 man roster, right-hander David Goforth was subsequently designated for assignment by Milwaukee.

Parker will turn 32 next season and began his career in 2006 as a 16th round draft pick by the Chicago Cubs. He made his big league debut in 2012 and has pitched parts of four seasons with the Cubs, Mariners, and Yankees. Parker split last season between the Yankees and Mariners organizations, allowing 9 earned runs in 17.1 MLB innings with 15 strikeouts and 9 walks.

All together, Parker owns a career 3.87 ERA and 3.68 FIP in 90.2 big league innings, covering 91 appearances. He has struck out 100 batters against 33 walks in that time and held opponents to a 34.1% ground ball rate. Parker has a much more lengthy track record in AAA, where he’s pitched parts of 9 seasons. In 232 appearances and 274.2 innings at the highest level of the minors, Parker owns marks of a 3.08 ERA, 10.5 K/9, and 4.2 BB/9 to go along with 85 saves.

The journeyman righty’s arsenal consists of a four-seam fastball that averaged 92.2 MPH last season along with a curveball and a split-finger. He has battled control issues during his career, but obviously has gotten plenty of strikeouts as well and carries an 11.2% swinging strike rate during his big league career.

David Goforth, 28, was Milwaukee’s 7th round draft pick in 2011. He made his big league debut with the club in 2015, pitching to a respectable 4.01 ERA in 24.2 innings with 24 strikeouts and 8 walks. He struggled mightily last season while shuttling back and forth between the Brewers and AAA Colorado Springs, however. Goforth allowed 13 earned runs in 10.2 MLB innings and posted a 4.91 ERA and 5.17 FIP in 51.1 innings in AAA in 2016.

If Goforth clears waivers and is outrighted to AAA, he will not yet be eligible to elect free agency and will remain property of the Brewers. For what it’s worth, he would be eligible to be selected in the Rule 5 Draft in that scenario, however.

Statistics courtesy of Fangraphs and Baseball-Reference