The trade deadline set off a whirlwind of roster movement. In this post, MLBTR catches up on some players who were designated for assignment last week.
- The Athletics sent left-hander Ben Bowden outright to Triple-A Las Vegas, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. The lefty had the right to reject that assignment and elect free agency but has already pitched for the Aviators a couple of times since being outrighted, so it appears he has accepted his assignment. He has a 6.65 earned run average in 47 1/3 innings in his career.
- The Padres have released right-hander Germán Márquez, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. As a veteran with at least five years of service time, he would have had the right to reject an outright assignment while keeping all his remaining salary. The Friars skipped that formality. They remain on the hook for the remainder of his salary. If any club signs him, they would only have to pay him the prorated league minimum, which would be subtracted from what San Diego pays. Márquez posted a 5.26 ERA in 53 innings for the Padres but with worse underlying numbers.
- The Rangers have released right-hander Chris Martin, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Like Márquez, he would have had the right to reject an outright assignment while keeping his money, so the club has opted for the simple release instead. Any club could now sign Martin and pay him the prorated league minimum but he has a flat ERA of 9.00 this year while working around some injuries and he has flirted with retirement in the past.
- The Royals have released left-hander Matt Strahm, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. Like Márquez and Martin, he would have had the right to reject an outright assignment while keeping his money, so Kansas City opted to release him instead. He can be signed and paid the prorated league minimum. He has a 7.32 ERA in 35 2/3 innings this year.
Photo courtesy of Dennis Lee, Imagn Images
