The Guardians have designated right-hander Scott Barlow for task, in accordance with MLB.com’s Transactions Tracker. Taking his spot on the 40-man and lively rosters can be left-hander Anthony Gose, whose contract was chosen in accordance with Gose’s MLB.com Participant Web page.
Barlow, 31, was acquired by the Guardians in a commerce with the Padres final November that despatched right-hander Enyel De Los Santos to San Diego. A longtime Royals reduction arm who emerged because the membership’s prime leverage arm in the course of the 2021 season, Barlow pitched to a superb 2.30 ERA and three.13 FIP in 148 2/3 innings between 2021 and ’22 whereas putting out 28.2% of batters confronted and racking up 40 saves.
Sadly, he took a step again in 2023 with a considerably uneven season. Whereas his numbers underneath the hood throughout his time with the Royals final yr, together with a 26.7% strikeout price and a 4.04 SIERA, provided loads of purpose for optimism, he struggled by way of stopping runs and in the end surrendered a 5.35 ERA in 38 2/3 innings of labor earlier than being shipped to the Padres on the commerce deadline. As soon as in uniform with San Diego, Barlow pitched a lot better down the stretch with a 3.07 ERA and three.15 FIP in his ultimate 29 1/3 innings final yr. That appeared to go away Barlow poised to occupy a key position with the Padres within the late innings this yr, however he was in the end shipped to the Guardians as a part of an effort to slash the membership’s payroll and duck underneath the posh tax for 2024.
That allowed the Guardians step in and take the chance so as to add Barlow to their already wonderful bullpen, the place he was poised to behave as one of many prime setup males for nearer Emmanuel Clase. For a lot of the season, the right-hander carried out that position admirably with a 3.12 ERA and three.50 FIP in 43 1/3 innings of labor by way of the top of July. Issues took a pointy flip for the more severe as soon as the calendar flipped to August, nonetheless, and Barlow was shelled to the tune of an 8.49 ERA in 11 2/3 innings of labor. The proper-hander has appeared misplaced on the mound for over a month now, with a 17.9% strikeout price towards a ten.7% stroll price to associate with three hit batters and two dwelling runs over his final 13 appearances. Because the Guardians look to fend off the Royals and Twins within the AL Central and earn a bye by way of the Wild Card Collection this October, the membership evidently felt they couldn’t afford to proceed giving the righty alternatives to get proper.
Barlow’s departure makes approach for Gose, 34, on the massive league roster. As soon as a top-100 prospect as a hitter with the Phillies, he struggled by way of 5 seasons within the majors with a beneath common .240/.309/.348 slash line in 372 profession video games and finally determined to strive changing to pitching. He resurfaced within the massive leagues as a reliever in Cleveland again in 2021, impressing with a six-appearance cup of espresso that noticed him strike out 37.5% of opponents and put up a 1.35 ERA. Gose sported a decent 3.90 ERA and 4.17 FIP in 27 2/3 innings of labor as pitcher for his profession when he underwent Tommy John surgical procedure in September of 2022, and he spent the complete 2023 season rehabbing.
Now again in motion with the Guardians, Gose surrendered three runs in 3 1/3 innings of labor throughout a short cup of espresso earlier this yr however has posted a stable 3.27 ERA in 41 1/3 frames on the Triple-A stage. He’ll get one other alternative with the massive league membership down the stretch as he seems to be to ascertain himself as a viable reduction possibility for the 2025 marketing campaign, whether or not that’s with Cleveland or elsewhere.
