The Rangers have signed left-hander Michael Plassmeyer to a minor league deal, in keeping with the transactions part of the southpaw’s MLB.com profile web page. The deal presumably consists of an invitation to huge league Spring Coaching.
The 28-year-old southpaw was a fourth-round decide by Seattle within the 2018 draft. He didn’t stick in a Mariners uniform for lengthy, nevertheless, as he was swapped to the Rays as a part of the five-player deal that despatched Mike Zunino to Seattle early within the 2018-19 offseason. Plassmeyer’s 2019 season with the Rays was a particularly spectacular one, as he dominated with a 1.91 ERA in 132 innings of labor throughout three ranges of the minors and finally reached Triple-A in the direction of the top of his first skilled season. That unimaginable progress by way of the minor leagues was stunted by the cancelled minor league season in 2020, nevertheless, and earlier than Plassmeyer might observe up on his breakout marketing campaign the Rays shipped him to San Francisco in a deal for right-hander Matt Wisler.
Whereas Plassmeyer had seemed good within the early days of the 2021 season at Double-A with the Rays, issues took a flip for the more severe as soon as he was traded to the Giants. He struggled in 16 appearances on the Double-A stage with a 5.08 ERA in 79 2/3 innings of labor, and people struggles within the San Francisco farm system continued into the 2022 season because the lefty posted a 7.38 ERA in 11 appearances on the Triple-A stage within the inflated offensive setting of the Pacific Coast League. Plassmeyer’s troubles lastly got here to an finish when he was traded for the third time in his profession, resulting in him ending up in a Phillies uniform. At Triple-A with the Phils, Plassmeyer impressed down the stretch with a 2.41 ERA in 82 innings of labor throughout 16 begins. That efficiency earned him a giant league call-up late within the 2022 season, and the lefty made probably the most of it with a stable 3.68 ERA in 7 1/3 innings of labor throughout two appearances.
Sadly for Plassmeyer, the lefty struggled early within the 2023 season with accidents. Even when wholesome sufficient to take the mound, he struggled to a 5.05 ERA in 16 appearances at Triple-A. His second cup of espresso within the majors additionally didn’t go in addition to the primary, as Plassmeyer allowed ten runs (9 earned) on eight hits and three hit batsmen whereas placing out simply 4 in 3 2/3 innings of labor. After being designated for project in Philly and electing minor league free company, Plassmeyer moved throughout the state to signal a minor league take care of Pittsburgh. 2024 was one other robust season for Plassmeyer, who spent your entire season at Triple-A and struggled to a 7.93 ERA in 70 1/3 innings of labor. His 26.7% strikeout price was stable sufficient, and his 4.0% stroll price price was nothing in need of glorious.
The lefty’s 4.14 FIP suggests he could have been the sufferer of dangerous luck in 2024, and a glance underneath the hood exhibits why: his .421 BABIP was extremely excessive, and his 53.8% strand price is sort of unbelievably low. The Rangers are absolutely hoping Plassmeyer will put up numbers extra according to his stable peripherals in 2025, which might make him a stable depth possibility from the left facet for both the rotation or as a multi-inning aid possibility relying on the wants of the membership.