Rex Brothers began the 2018 season as part of the Atlanta Braves’ Opening Day roster. By the end of the season he was pitching for Double-A Mississippi.
Brothers came to the Braves in the 2017 season as he was trying to work his way back from injury. He appeared in 27 games and posted a high ERA but better looking peripheral numbers along with good velocity on his fastball. He re-signed with the team during the offseason, avoiding arbitration.
Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos was vocal during spring training that the team would take into account players that were out of options and and factor that into the decisions for the Opening Day roster. Brothers benefited from that and began the season in the majors. However it would prove to be a short stay.
Brothers walked both batters he faced on Opening Day, including one with the bases loaded. He was optioned to Gwinnett two days later and then was quietly removed from the team’s 40-man roster at the end of April. Brothers appeared in 32 games for Gwinnett and posted good strikeout numbers but his control and command evaporated. He struck out 37 batters in just 27 and a third innings at Triple-A but walked an eye-popping 33 batters during that span. He also recorded 11 wild pitches and hit five batters.
Brothers would eventually wind up in Double-A where he struck out 19 in 13.1 innings but also walked 11. He elected to become a minor league free agent at the end of the season.
What did he do in 2018? Stayed healthy (which is good) but lost the strikezone (which is very bad).
Will he be on the roster next year? Nope
What is he going to do next year? Being a hard throwing lefty, he will likely get an opportunity with someone in spring training.
Highlight of 2018: Look, were you not paying attention? He faced two batters, and walked two batters. The highlight is that he... threw four pitches in the strike zone across two batters?
Lowlight of 2018: He entered the game to face a lefty batter. He walked him. Then he was inexplicably left in to face a righty batter in a close game, foreshadowing what was to come. He also walked him. That was the end. Goodbye forever, Rex.