Brewers right-hander Mitch White went unclaimed on outright waivers and has been assigned to Triple-A Nashville, reports Todd Rosiak of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. He’s been outrighted once in the past, so he’ll have the opportunity to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, if he prefers to look for opportunities elsewhere.
The Brewers acquired White from the Giants in exchange for cash last month. San Francisco had also designated the right-hander for assignment prior to that swap. White made six appearances with the Brewers, pitching 8 1/3 innings and yielding six earned runs on eight hits and four walks (two of them intentional). He punched out six batters. On the season as a whole, White has tossed 23 2/3 innings and been roughed up for a 7.23 ERA between the Blue Jays, Giants and Brewers. He’s fanned just 11.8% of his opponents against a matching 11.8% walk rate.
Once a prospect of note within the Dodgers organization, the now-29-year-old White has pitched in parts of five big league seasons. The 2016 second-rounder had a nice early-career run in L.A. but has struggled since being traded away from Los Angeles. In 105 2/3 frames as a Dodger, White recorded a 3.58 ERA with a 22% strikeout rate and 8.3% walk rate. He’s since pitched to a 5.45 ERA with a diminished 17.7% strikeout rate between the Blue Jays, Giants and Brewers.
If he accepts his outright assignment, he’ll stick with the Brewers organization and suit up for their Triple-A affiliate, the Nashville Sounds, while hoping to pitch his way back into another major league opportunity. If he opts to test free agency, he’ll likely find some interest on minor league deals from clubs seeking to stockpile experienced pitching depth.