Once again the Braves have given the Wheel of Relievers a spin, and this time it’s come up with former Yankees prospect and Rays relief pitcher Chase Whitley. He takes the 25-man roster spot of Matt Wisler, who was optioned to AAA Gwinnett.
The Player
Chase Whitley, RHP
Age: 28
2018 Level: AAA Gwinnett
The Results
2018: 3.65 ERA | 2.59 FIP | 6 G, 0 GS | 12.1 IP | 20.0 K/9 | 6.0 BB/9
Major League Career: 4.48 ERA | 3.93 FIP | 74 G, 14 GS | 166.2 IP | 7.24 K/9 | 2.27 BB/9
The History
Whitley was a 15th-round pick by the New York Yankees in 2010 out of Troy University, where he starred as a two-way player. He made steady progress through the Yankees system, culminating in his big league debut on May 15, 2014 when he was the Yankees starting pitcher. Whitley would end up making 24 appearances for the Yankees, 12 starts, pitching to a 5.23 ERA but showing enough flashes to be thought of as a potential contributor for 2015.
Almost exactly one year after his debut, on May 14, 2015 Whitley tore his UCL and had Tommy John surgery. That offseason, he was claimed off waivers by the Tampa Bay Rays, who kept him on their 60-day DL for most of the 2016 season while he rehabbed. He returned to the majors on September 11, 2016 and was a member of the Rays bullpen for most of the 2017 season, pitching to a 4.08 ERA in 57 innings. Eligible for arbitration after the 2017 season, the Rays tried to sneak him through waivers just before the contract tender deadline, but he was claimed by the Braves, who quickly came to a split-contract deal with Whitley to avoid arbitration.
After only a few appearances this spring, Whitley was shut down due to a blister on his heel. The blister grew infected, which spread to his lymph nodes. The staph infection caused numbness in his leg and affected his heartbeat, and Whitley faced a serious medical situation. Fortunately the infection was arrested, and Whitley was cleared to throw again the last week of March. After a short rehab assignment, Whitley was optioned to AAA Gwinnett. Whitley hadn’t allowed a run in his last three outings, each of which was at least two innings.
The Report
Whitley won’t light up radar guns with a low-90s four-seam fastball, but his change-up has good movement and is probably his best pitch. His slider has good shape, and can generate swing-and-miss when has good feel for it. Whitley generally does a good job staying around the zone and inducing weak contact, and stays away from free passes, something no doubt of interest to the Braves.
What’s Next
Whitley was expected to be a member of the Braves bullpen when spring started, and after a month-long delay he has arrived. Given the tendency for Braves starting pitchers to not be able to pitch long after the 6th inning, the need for relievers that can handle multi-inning stints has grown, and Whitley could combine with Shane Carle and Jesse Biddle to form a solid middle inning corps.
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