The 5 most surprising MLB players that were DFA’d on Tuesday
Tuesday was the deadline for MLB teams to add prospects on their 40-man roster to protect them from the Rule V Draft in a few weeks. It also was the deadline for players to accept the qualifying offer.
As a result, a lot of players that saw significant MLB playing time in 2022 were designated for assignment and some of them were even some of them were a bit surprising.
Here are the five most surprising MLB players that were designated for assignment on Tuesday by their respective clubs.
5 most surprising MLB players that were DFA’d on Tuesday
Outfielder Raimel Tapia- Toronto Blue Jays
Former Blue Jays outfielder Raimel Tapia has shown glimpses of being a good contact hitter during his MLB tenure. In 2020, for example, he was an everyday player for the Colorado Rockies and he hit .321 in 51 games for them.
He regressed some in 2021 (.273 AVG) and he regressed again in 2022 with the Blue Jays (.265 AVG) in 128 games. The Blue Jays weren’t very aggressive with Tapia’s true main tool: his speed. He stole 20 bases for Colorado in 2021 but with Toronto in 2022, he only had 10 stolen base attempts.
In reality, he should be a fourth or fifth outfielder but considering that they traded Randal Grichuk for him just before the start of the season and played him in 128 games, it is a bit surprising that the Blue Jays DFA’d Tapia.
Pitcher Ryan Yarbrough – Tampa Bay Rays
For a few years now, Ryan Yarbrough was a key figure to the Tampa Bay Rays’ pitching staff. He was a rookie in 2018 when he became known for being part of the concept of an “opener.” Yarbrough was often the “reliever” that came in and ate up some innings after the “opener” was employed.
He went 16-6 with a 3.91 ERA in 38 games (six starts, in the true sense of the word). He was used in a similar role in 2019 and in 2020, he was truly one of their key starters. He was their starter in Game 3 of the ALCS and Game 4 of the World Series (along with relief appearances in Game 1 and Game 6).
He has struggled more in 2021 and 2022, though. In 2022, he made 20 appearances (nine starts) and in 80 innings, he had a 4.50 ERA with a 4.77 FIP.
He is entering his second season of being arbitration-eligible, which is why the Rays DFA’d him (he would have been much more expensive in 2023).
Outfielder Stone Garrett – Arizona Diamondbacks
Stone Garrett was called up by the Arizona Diamondbacks in late August after he put together a good season with Triple-A Reno.
There, he had played in 103 games and he hit .275/.332/.568 with 28 home runs, 95 RBI, 22 doubles, and 15 stolen bases. In the majors, he played in 27 games (84 plate appearances) and he hit .276/.309/.539 with four home runs, 10 RBI, eight doubles, and three stolen bases. He had an OPS+ of 136 and an rWAR of 0.5.
With those numbers, it was a bit surprising that he was DFA’d. His inexperience and age (he will be 26 in a few days) probably was the reason behind his DFA or, perhaps, Arizona wants to keep him but on a minor league deal but his success in 2022 makes him one of the more interesting DFA’s.
Reliever Jarlin Garcia – San Francisco Giants
Jarlin Garcia has been one of the key relievers used by the San Francisco Giants in the last few years. In both 2021 and 2022, he appeared in 58 games for the Giants and logged the second- and fourth-most innings in relief for the club in those seasons.
His first season with the Giants was in 2020, where he logged a 0.49 ERA in 19 appearances after he appeared in 53 games for the Marlins in 2019 with a 3.02 ERA.
In 2022, Garcia saw his ERA balloon from 2.62 to 3.74, his FIP went from 3.77 to 4.27, and his WHIP went from 0.961 to 1.200. However, those numbers were still respectable numbers.
Garcia went from (oftentimes) being the only left-handed reliever for the Giants (and doing well) to being DFA’d so he may be able to latch on with another team quickly.
Pitcher Jeff Hoffman – Cincinnati Reds
Like his former teammate, Raimel Tapia, Jeff Hoffman has shown glimpses of possessing what it takes to be an MLB-quality pitcher. For Hoffman, though, it was primarily in 2022 and it was a team that wasn’t in contention: the Cincinnati Reds.
Entering the season, Hoffman had a 5.96 ERA in an embattled, six-year career in the majors. He battled through injuries, command issues, and hard-hit rates. The Rockies traded him to Cincinnati before the 2021 season where he saw his best season in his career. In 31 games (11 starts), he had a 4.56 ERA (103 ERA+).
In 2022, he continued his relative success and was even better. He made 35 appearances (one start) and had a 3.83 ERA (117 ERA+) and the lowest FIP of his career as well (4.30).
He still struggled with command (4.6 BB/9) but for a team that has very little pitching and is far from contention, it’s a bit surprising that the Reds decided to give up on him.