Zach Logue existed on the Atlanta Braves’ roster at precisely two factors this season. He pitched a bunch for Triple-A Gwinnett, and really made it again to the majors in 2024… simply after the Braves had minimize ties with him.
How acquired
Logue joined the Braves group in December 2023 on a minor league contract, after spending the 2023 season with Detroit. The Braves have been his fourth big-league group: he was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2017, traded to Oakland within the Matt Chapman deal, and claimed by the Tigers on waivers earlier than electing minor league free company after the 2023 season.
What have been the expectations?
There have been basically no expectations for Logue apart from to exist within the group as depth.
Logue had a short main league monitor report that wasn’t in any respect inspiring: in ten begins and 4 reduction appearances with Oakland in 2022, he was profoundly horrible… and was even worse in Triple-A that 12 months. He was additionally horrible in Triple-A with the Tigers in 2023, and the lone vivid spot was that he managed an 88 xFIP- in 11 main league innings that season. The Braves stored him in a swingman function at Gwinnett and whereas he was higher on the Triple-A stage there than he had been with both Oakland or Detroit, he was nonetheless fairly unhealthy (4.57 xFIP).
Generally, there are random Quad-A guys the place you possibly can squint and see upside, however you’ve gotta achieve this actual exhausting to see a lot of a serious league function for Logue. Certain, he has a fairly deep pitch combine, and his curve is a extremely unusual pitch which may throw guys off steadiness… however he’s additionally a soft-tossing heavy sink lefty in a league and atmosphere that doesn’t actually know what to do with these guys anymore.
What went proper?
Logue helped the group out by overlaying 90 2⁄3 innings in Gwinnett (and one other 3 2⁄3 in Mississippi) with out pitching fairly so poorly that they felt the necessity to search for an alternative choice. That’s one thing, though the 4.01 FIP and 4.57 xFIP aren’t what you need to see from a man in his fifth stint at Triple-A.
What went mistaken?
Logue didn’t seem for the foremost league membership, though he did be part of the foremost league roster for 2 separate stints, however for a complete of lower than every week. He did pitch two innings (and was charged with 4 runs, together with a homer, regardless of a 4/0 Okay/BB ratio) for the Dodgers later within the 12 months.
Principally, although, the problem for Logue was kind of the identical as for the remainder of his profession: he’s merely not doing properly sufficient, usually, to warrant an actual look on a serious league roster. He’ll be 29 for many of subsequent season, so time is operating out a bit.
2025 Outlook
Logue will doubtless proceed to be a journeyman, however being picked up by the Braves and the Dodgers signifies that there is likely to be one thing there that extra analytics-savvy groups are choosing up on, so he could get some extra possibilities and maybe determine find out how to maximize what they’re figuring out — even when, enjoyable curveball apart, it’s not clear precisely what that might be.
One factor which may assistance is attempting Logue completely as a reliever. He’s been stretched out sufficient to work as a starter or swingman, however hasn’t performed something significantly worthwhile in that function, and perhaps specializing in one thing apart from sinking the ball whereas consuming innings may pay dividends. Or not.
