3 issues to learn about new Purple Sox depth arm Logan Gillaspie

Purple Sox

Gillaspie has spent his total main league profession with the Baltimore Orioles, a division rival of the Purple Sox.

New Purple Sox pitcher Logan Gillaspie will now play in a corporation he is performed in opposition to a number of instances earlier than. Julia Nikhinson/AP Photograph

With just some brief weeks left within the 2023 MLB season, the Boston Purple Sox made a transfer to spice up their pitching depth.

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On Monday, the Purple Sox claimed reduction pitcher Logan Gillaspie off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester. They positioned outfielder Jarren Duran on the 60-day injured record to make room for Gillaspie on the 40-man roster.

In 28 video games spent in two seasons as an Oriole, Gillaspie put collectively a 4.10 ERA and a 1.59 WHIP in 26.1 innings pitched. The proper-hander has struggled this season with a 6.00 ERA in 9 IP and has spent most of his 2023 with Triple-A Norfolk, however his 3.12 ERA in 17.1 IP final season suggests promise and instruments the Purple Sox can work with.

It’s unclear as as to whether or not we’ll see Gillaspie within the main leagues this season. But when he does pitch at Fenway Park, listed here are three issues to learn about him.

He has had a troublesome journey to get to the key leagues.

Upon graduating in 2015 from Frontier Excessive Faculty in his hometown of Bakersfield, Calif., Gillaspie didn’t hear his title known as in that 12 months’s MLB Draft. He then enrolled at Oxnard School, a neighborhood school positioned just a few hours away from Bakersfield, and performed pitcher and a few infield for its baseball staff. After leaving Oxnard, he as soon as once more went undrafted within the 2017 MLB Draft.

However Gillaspie wasn’t prepared to surrender baseball. After going undrafted for the second time, he stayed in California and signed with the Pecos League’s Monterey Amberjacks. From there, he moved all throughout the nation, enjoying in Salina, Kan. (Salina Stockade), Sonoma County, Calif. (Sonoma Stompers) and Metro Detroit, Mich. (Eastside Diamond Hoppers) earlier than signing a minor-league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018. He made it to the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Milwaukee’s Single-A affiliate, with a 3.69 ERA earlier than the Brewers launched him in 2019 resulting from a torn ACL.

In a characteristic with Andy Kostka of The Baltimore Banner, Gillaspie revealed that he made most of his dwelling digging swimming pools within the time he spent away from baseball. groups would name him a few potential return to baseball, however they might finish these discussions and refused to comply with up after studying of his torn ACL. 

However Orioles director of Professional Scouting Mike Snyder saved calling Gillaspie again. Gillaspie would check out for Snyder’s group in Feb. 2020, who would signal him to a minor league contract in June 2021. He began that 12 months in Excessive-A earlier than transferring as much as Double-A earlier than that season’s finish, and he made his main league debut on Might 17, 2022 after simply six video games spent in Triple-A. 

He depends on 4 pitches, together with a 95 mph fastball.

Gillaspie’s most frequent pitch is his four-seam fastball that travels at 95.6 miles per hour, a velocity Baseball Savant locations on the eightieth percentile amongst all main leaguers. Forty 4 % of all of his pitches this season have been this four-seamer, and it has seen as many plate appearances (23) as each certainly one of his different pitches mixed.

However Gillaspie has three different pitches he likes to make use of, a uncommon quantity for a reliever. Every of those pitches have seen constant use as nicely. In accordance with Baseball Savant, 25.7 % of Gillaspie’s pitches are sliders, 16.8 % are changeups, and 13.6 % are curveballs. His slider has a 25 % whiff price this season, and his curveball has given him extra strikeouts than hits this 12 months.

He’s given Purple Sox gamers bother prior to now.

Gillaspie has confronted Boston, his former staff’s division rival, six instances in his MLB profession. It hasn’t all the time been straightforward for the Purple Sox in these video games.

On Might 27, 2022, his first recreation in opposition to the Purple Sox, Gillaspie pressured an out from celebrity Rafael Devers. Just a few days later, he pressured lineouts from J.D. Martinez and Christian Arroyo. He acquired his first strikeout on a Purple Sox participant when he punched Abraham Almonte out on Sept. 26, whereas additionally forcing outs from Martinez, Reese McGuire, Kike Hernandez, Xander Bogaerts and Alex Verdugo. Gillaspie capped off that dominant efficiency by placing out Triston Casas to finish the sport. He noticed the Purple Sox for the ultimate time that 12 months a day later, and he ended his evening by placing out Almonte and even Devers.

Gillaspie wouldn’t have to attend too lengthy to see the Purple Sox as soon as the next season started, as he helped the Orioles defeat Boston on opening day. He started that season with a strikeout of Connor Wong, and adopted that efficiency up a day later by forcing McGuire and Raimel Tapia to floor out.

Gillaspie arrives in Boston after two seasons of giving the Purple Sox a tough time. Optimistically, he’ll have the ability to do the identical to the Purple Sox’ opponents.