Unable to overcome his early-season struggles and having never fulfilled his potential as a former first-round pick, Orioles left-handed pitcher Brian Matusz was traded to Atlanta on Monday.
Executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette sent the 29-year-old and the 76th overall pick in this year’s draft to the Braves in exchange for minor-league pitchers Brandon Barker and Trevor Belicek. According to multiple outlets, the Braves will designate Matusz for assignment, reflecting their willingness to take on the remainder of the lefty’s $3.9 million salary to acquire the draft pick.
The move saves the Orioles money while opening a spot in the bullpen for another reliever. Baltimore also announced it signed left-handed relief pitcher Brian Duensing to a minor-league contract on Monday. Most recently with the Kansas City Royals organization, the 33-year-old Duensing has pitched to a 4.13 ERA over 649 1/3 major league innings in his seven-year career.
The fourth overall pick of the 2008 draft, Matusz had struggled mightily since being activated from the 15-day disabled list last month. In seven appearances covering six innings, the lefty had pitched to a 12.00 ERA with seven walks and one strikeout while surrendering three home runs and 11 hits.
His velocity was down after returning from a left intercostal strain suffered in spring training. Matusz was set to become a free agent at the end of the 2016 season and was not expected to be in the club’s plans for the future.
After serving as a reliable lefty specialist for the better part of four seasons, Matusz had retired just five of the 16 lefty bats he’d faced in 2016 and had appeared in just four games this month. Lefties have hit just .211 with a .627 on-base plus slugging percentage over his eight-year major league career, which allowed him to find a role as a lefty specialist after failing to establish himself as a major league starter.
The 23-year-old Barker went 3-2 with a 2.00 ERA and struck out 40 batters in 45 innings that included eight starts for Double-A Mississippi this season. The Braves’ 16th-round pick of the 2014 draft is expected to be assigned to Double-A Bowie.
The lefty Belicek has gone 3-0 with a 2.22 ERA in 28 1/3 innings while walking one and striking out 32 in 12 games between Class-A Rome and Double-A Mississippi this season. The 23-year-old was Atlanta’s 16th-round pick last year and will go to Single-A Frederick.
Though Matusz found modest success as a reliever in his final few seasons with Baltimore, he will be remembered as a disappointment for not panning out as the top-half-of-the-rotation starter many expected him to become. The University of San Diego product was taken just one pick ahead of future National League MVP Buster Posey.
