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The Milwaukee Brewers needed to clear some 40-man roster spots for their new additions after the July 31st MLB Trade Deadline, and relievers Jacob Barnes and Donnie Hart were the two casualties sent into DFA limbo. This afternoon we have learned that both pitchers will head to new homes after getting claimed off of waivers:
We have claimed RHP Jacob Barnes off waivers and optioned him to Omaha. #Royals
— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) August 3, 2019
Roster moves: We have recalled RHP Jacob Rhame and optioned Tyler Bashlor to Triple-A Syracuse. Additionally, we have claimed LHP Donnie Hart off waivers from Milwaukee and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse.
— New York Mets (@Mets) August 3, 2019
Here is tonight's lineup. #LGM pic.twitter.com/I7HVe9MmuA
Hart, 28, had only a brief tenure with the organization after getting plucked off waivers from the Dodgers back in April. He appeared in four games and logged 6.2 scoreless innings as a shuttle arm for the Brewers. Hart has appeared in parts of four MLB seasons with the Brewers and Orioles, working to a 3.17 ERA in 88.0 innings pitched. The left-hander will report to Triple-A for the Mets, a level at which he posted a 4.10 ERA in 37.1 innings for the San Antonio Missions this year.
Barnes, 29, enjoyed a slightly longer stint with the org after he was drafted in the 14th round back in 2011. He converted to relief full-time in 2015 and began to appear on the back-end of the franchise’s top prospect lists, earning an assignment to the Arizona Fall League after the 2015 season ahead of his big league debut in 2016. He posted a 2.70 ERA in 26.2 innings for the Brewers as a rookie while flashing an impressive fastball/cutter combination, showing high-leverage upside. But he struggled for consistency during the ensuing seasons and never was able to fully establish himself in the big leagues with Milwaukee.
Barnes posted a 4.00 ERA during a full season of 73 appearances and 72.0 innings in 2017, then served as a shuttle arm in 2018 and during this season. His bottom-line 3.33 ERA in 48.2 innings in 2018 looked good enough on paper, but Barnes had difficulties stranding inherited runners and was eventually shifted away from high-leverage work. His ERA cratered to 6.86 in 19.2 innings during the 2019 season as his struggles with issuing free passes intensified.
Barnes ends his Brewers career with 167.0 innings pitched across 167 appearances (one start). During that time he tallied a 3.93 ERA, good for a 110 ERA+, while striking out 175 batters against 73 walks. All-in-all, not a bad outcome from a third-day draft pick. He’ll join Kansas City’s Triple-A affiliate after he posted a 4.50 ERA in 14.0 innings for San Antonio.
Statistics courtesy of Baseball-Reference