The Braves cut loose three veteran names from Triple-A yesterday, and all three are now free agents: Andrew McCutchen, Austin Gomber and Ben Gamel, according to the transaction log at MiLB.com.
McCutchen is the headliner, even at 39 and well removed from his MVP peak. The outfielder/designated hitter opened the season with the Rangers on a minor league deal, made the Opening Day roster and then struggled in a brief Texas stint, hitting .192/.277/.260 in 83 plate appearances before getting released.
He did show a little more at Gwinnett, going 10-for-30 with three doubles and a homer in 32 plate appearances, good for a .333/.375/.533 line. The source notes that he was a league-average bat in Pittsburgh from 2024-25 and could still appeal to a team looking for help against left-handers.
Gomber’s path has been quieter, but he’s still a familiar big league arm. The 32-year-old lefty hasn’t appeared in the majors this season, which means this is the first time since 2019 he hasn’t logged any big league action.
He also came to the Braves after signing a minor league deal with Texas and then getting cut. His numbers with the Rangers’ top affiliate were rough - a 7.75 ERA in 32 2/3 innings - but he settled in better with Gwinnett, where he posted a 4.81 ERA with a 16.7% strikeout rate and 6.9% walk rate over 48 2/3 innings.
Across four seasons with the Rockies, Gomber turned in fifth starter results, finishing with a 5.08 ERA, 17.7 K% and 6.7 BB% over 544 innings.
Gamel, meanwhile, brings more than six years of service and a long track record as a contact-oriented outfielder. He hasn’t been in the majors since 2024, and his career line sits at .252/.334/.381 with pretty neutral splits against lefties and righties.
He doesn’t draw many walks and he isn’t known for standout defense, but he’s generally managed to produce around league-average offense because he puts the ball in play and works enough walks. That profile hasn’t translated well in Triple-A this year, though, as he’s hit just .210/.333/.328 with a strikeout rate nearing 32% in 225 plate appearances.
In Other News...
Derek Hill Suddenly Leaves Phillies With A Much Bigger Concern
Derek Hill had given the Phillies a useful spark before the game turned suddenly in the outfield. During Philadelphias loss to Washington, the center fielder was in the middle of a productive offensive night when he went racing for a catch, only to slam head-first into the wall and stop the action while trainers rushed out to check on him.
Hill eventually made his way off the field with help, but the bigger concern was what his exit meant for a Phillies team that was still tied with the Nationals at the time. Washington pulled away after the injury, turning a 4-4 game into a 10-4 finish, and leaving Philadelphia to wonder both about the result and about Hills availability moving forward. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Fans May Want Gage Wood Sooner Than They Should
The Phillies spent deadline season reshaping the roster with Luis Arraez and two relievers, but they left the starting-pitching picture untouched, which is why a name like Gage Wood is starting to come up more often around the fan base. The right-hander has been excellent in Double-A and is being built up as a starter, giving Philadelphia at least one intriguing arm on a farm system that does not have a lot of obvious high-end upside beyond him.
That kind of profile can make impatience easy to understand, especially when the major-league club is always one injury or short outing away from needing help. Still, the Phillies have reason to be careful with Woods path, because his value is tied to becoming a real starting option rather than being rushed into the conversation before he is ready. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Left Themselves Two Dangerous Holes In The Playoff Race
The trade deadline came and went with the usual flurry of activity, and several contenders made the kind of moves that can reshape a pennant race. But for clubs like the Phillies, the quieter ending was its own story. They were among the teams that went in looking to fortify weak spots and came away without the specific upgrade they had hoped to make, leaving the roster to answer the same questions it carried into July.
For a Philadelphia team trying to keep pace in a crowded postseason picture, that matters. The deadline was supposed to be a chance to protect against the grind of the stretch run, yet the gap they were trying to fill remains open as the schedule tightens. In a year when rivals were willing to act aggressively, the Phillies now have to navigate the rest of the season with the burden of a need still hanging over them. [Read more 🡒]