The Milwaukee Brewers are always on the lookout for pitchers they can “fix”.
The Kansas City Royals, even when they are making win-now moves, rarely say no to prospects.
As a result, the two teams agreed to a trade on Thursday.
“The Brewers are acquiring RHP Taylor Clarke in a trade with the Royals, per source. @ByRobertMurray was on it,” MLB insider Mark Feinsand tweeted.
The Brewers are acquiring RHP Taylor Clarke in a trade with the Royals, per source. @ByRobertMurray was on it.
— Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) December 14, 2023
Clarke was very solid in 2022, when he posted a 4.04 ERA in 49 innings with a very solid 1.47 walks per nine frames.
However, his control eroded this past season, to the point he gave away 3.66 walks per nine innings and his ERA skyrocketed to 5.95 in 59 frames.
The Brewers know that his peripherals are good and indicate improved performance next year as long as he holds the walks in check.
The Royals had a 40-man roster crunch, as they needed to include newcomers Seth Lugo and Chris Stratton.
That’s why Clarke got the boot in exchange for two prospects that don’t need to be included on the 40-man roster yet.
Minor league righty Ryan Brady and infielder Cam Devanney are the two prospects going to Kansas City in the transaction.
Brady will be 25 in March and has basically dominated at most minor league stops, but against younger competition.
Devanney has a decent bat and can play shortstop, second, and third base.
The Brewers get a good 30-year-old reliever for the post-Craig Counsell era in Clarke, and the Royals solve their logjam and add two organizational depth guys with some potential.
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