The Purple Sox have acquired right-hander Trey Wingenter from the Tigers in alternate for minor league righty CJ Weins per an announcement from each golf equipment. Wingenter was within the Tigers group on a minor league deal and doesn’t should be instantly added to the membership’s 40-man roster.
Wingenter, 30, has pitched in components of three MLB seasons and most not too long ago appeared within the majors as a member of the Tigers final yr. The suitable-hander was a Seventeenth-round decide by the Padres within the 2017 draft and made his debut with the membership in 2018. Over two seasons with San Diego, the righty posted a lackluster 5.14 ERA in 70 innings of labor, though his peripheral numbers recommended a stronger underlying efficiency that these run prevention numbers might have recommended. The righty struck out a whopping 33.1% of batters confronted throughout his time with the Padres, and that was sufficient to garner him a 3.79 FIP regardless of a 13% stroll price and a 12.7% house run to fly ball ratio that each left one thing to be desired.
The righty wouldn’t resurface on the massive league degree till 2023, as a member of the Tigers. His time in Detroit went equally to his time in San Diego, as he posted a lackluster 5.82 ERA whereas a giant strikeout price (28.9% in 17 innings) outweighed his elevated stroll price (9.2%) and proclivity in the direction of house runs sufficient to provide him strong peripheral numbers. One noticeable change from his time with the Padres was his groundball price, nonetheless. Wingenter didn’t garner many grounders throughout his time with the Padres, inducing them at solely a 35.7% clip, however that price shot up 43.2% with the Tigers.
Wingenter ended up remaining with Detroit coming into the 2024 marketing campaign after re-signing with the membership on a recent minor league deal this previous winter. Whereas he hasn’t pitched for the membership within the majors this season, he’s posted usually spectacular numbers on the Triple-A degree with a 3.31 ERA in 32 2/3 innings of labor this yr. He’s paired these robust outcomes together with his typical bat-missing stuff, as he’s struck out 32.9% of batters confronted on the degree this yr whereas strolling 11.6%. Notably, he’s continued to point out enchancment when it comes to his batted ball profile, as he’s induced grounders at a powerful 48% clip this season in Triple-A.
In heading to Boston, Wingenter joins a stockpile of fascinating bullpen arms the membership has on non-roster offers as potential depth choices behind their present group. With that being stated, it’s price noting that a lot of that group (reminiscent of Lucas Luetge and Joely Rodriguez) throw from the left aspect, that means Wingenter might be the membership’s prime non-roster depth choice from the proper aspect. With Chris Martin and Liam Hendriks each at the moment on the injured checklist, it’s at the least believable that the lack of one in every of Kenley Jansen, Justin Slaten, Greg Weissert, or Zack Kelly may lead the Purple Sox to show to Wingenter over both Alex Speas or Isaiah Campbell, each of whom are at the moment on the Triple-A degree however already occupy spots on the 40-man roster. It’s additionally doable that the membership might be intrigued sufficient by Wingenter’s excessive strikeout charges to provide him a extra speedy look within the majors, although such a transfer would require deciding on him to the membership’s 40-man roster.
In alternate for including Wingenter to their depth chart, the Purple Sox are giving up Weins. The 23-year-old was Boston’s sixth-round decide within the 2023 draft and pitched only one inning in rookie ball final yr earlier than being promoted to Single-A to start out the 2024 marketing campaign. In 24 1/3 innings of labor with the membership’s affiliate in Salem this yr, Weins has posted a lackluster 4.81 ERA with a strong 26.6% strikeout price however a worrisome 14.7% stroll price. These strong strikeout numbers give explanation for hope that the righty might be a precious piece of a giant league bullpen sometime if he can work out his management points, and the Tigers now determine to work in the direction of guiding Weins towards that objective going ahead.
