Who is Bryce Brentz?

[smg58]

A waiver claim from the Pirates, that's who!

https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brentbr01.shtml

A 29-year-old long-time minor leaguer coming off his best season (31 HR, .863 OPS in Pawtucket), Brentz qualifies as a righty power bat for the outfield. We could certainly use the depth in that regard, but sending him down would subject him to waivers yet again.

[Edgy MD]

Sounds like tough news for Phil Evans.

[MFS62]

Any player who can hit 31 HR righthanded is a welcome addition.
But Pawtucket was a Red Sox affiliate. Those righty homers should have had them, and their fans, salivating.
So why did they sell him to the Pirates after that season?
Bad fielder?
The Sox have the DH.
Strikeout prone?
His numbers weren't even close to being off the charts.(109 in 450 AB)
So, there's got to be something ....
Maybe the Sox had several better, and younger, prospects.
I dunno.
But, let's find out.
Welcome, Bryce.

Later

[smg58]

His numbers would look a lot better from a 25-year-old with options than they do from a 29-year-old without them. Still, he has the potential to be useful.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

PRETTY sure we'll try to sneak him through waivers for AAA depth. After selecting Evans specifically for his versatility, it doesn't make sense to bump him for a AAAA-slugger/corner-OF type, even if he does have a first-round pedigree.

[Ceetar]

LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr wrote: PRETTY sure we'll try to sneak him through waivers for AAA depth. After selecting Evans specifically for his versatility, it doesn't make sense to bump him for a AAAA-slugger/corner-OF type, even if he does have a first-round pedigree.

I mean, he already didn't once.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Well, yeah, but that was us.

[Edgy MD]

The more I check this guy out, the more I realize that Bryce may be the best example of the contemporary American-born ballplayer out there. Beard, church, fishing, hunting, golf, tattoos, trucks, Republicans, power, whiffs, and shooting himself in the leg. Plus, his name is Bryce.

Marrying a fellow jock instead of a minor league blondie is the one place he's deviated from the program.

[nymr83]

He shot himself in the leg? Plaxico Burress Style?

[Edgy MD]

I can't speak to football, but yeah, he totally did.

[nymr83]

Wow. Cleaning a loaded gun? Does he clean knives by stabbing his hand with the pointy end?

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

These kind of injuries/deaths always puzzled me. What gun owners are conscientious enough to regularly clean their guns, but not careful enough to check the chambers before doing so?

[Edgy MD]

My guess is that, at least half the time, they were doing something far dumber than cleaning the gun. Barney Fife stuff. Practicing their quick-draw, juggling, posing in front of the mirror.

As far as death, there are certainly cases of handgun suicides where somebody dresses the scene to make it look like a gun-cleaning accident, either to spare the family further grief or to collect on insurance.

[Edgy MD]

The Pirates are getting killed at the waiver wire. Jack Leathersich both got claimed by Cleveland, who also reclaimed Rule V pick Jordan Milbrath.

[RealityChuck]

Brentz cleared waivers. He can refuse the AAA assignment, but considering the fact that no one claimed him, he's likely to take it.