Braden Shewmake is back on the open market after clearing waivers and refusing an outright assignment to Triple-A Nashville, according to Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Brewers had designated the infielder for assignment last week, then acquired him from the Astros earlier this month in a cash deal. Milwaukee made the move a few days after David Hamilton went on the injured list with a strained left hamstring. Once Hamilton was ready to come off the IL, Shewmake - who is out of options - lost his spot on the roster.
This is the second outright of Shewmake’s career, which gave him the right to elect free agency for the first time.
If another club wants him, it likely won’t be on a major league deal. Had there been serious big league interest, he probably would have been claimed instead of making it to free agency. Still, with the trade deadline approaching, there’s a chance that some roster movement could create an opening somewhere in the coming days.
Shewmake was once the 21st overall pick, but the bat has never caught up. Right now he fits the profile of a speed-and-defense infielder, and Statcast has him in the 73rd percentile in sprint speed this year. He has seen time at shortstop, third base and second base, but the offense has been a problem: a .196/.206/.320 line in 162 plate appearances this season.
His Triple-A numbers have been better, though still not especially strong, with a .240/.305/.382 line across 1,225 plate appearances.
That uneven production has pushed him into journeyman territory. Atlanta traded him to the White Sox a few years ago, Chicago put him on waivers after 2024, and that led to claims by the Royals and Yankees.
The Yankees got him through waivers in February, but because it was his first career outright and he was still well short of three years of service time, he had to accept it. He was later traded to the Astros, spent a short time there, and then was designated for assignment, setting up the move to Milwaukee.
There’s still clearly some leaguewide interest, and now Shewmake will sort through his options.
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