MLB Rumors: Struggling NL East Team Claims Former Red Sox Pitcher

It’s onward and upward for Connor Seabold as the former Boston Red Sox pitcher heads to the Atlanta Braves.

MLB Trade Rumors reports the Braves claimed Seabold off waivers Sunday from the Tampa Bay Rays. The Athletic’s David O’Brien reports Atlanta sent Seabold to Triple-A Gwinnett

“He will provide depth at Triple-A Gwinnett for now, and perhaps he’ll eventually contribute to a pitching staff that has been ravaged by injuries this year,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Leo Morgenstern wrote Sunday.

Seabold, 29, joined the Red Sox in August 2020 as part of the four-player trade with the Phillies. Seabold and right-hander Nick Pivetta came to Boston while right-handers Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman went to Philadelphia.

The right-handed Seabold made his MLB debut the following season, getting a spot start in September 2021. He enjoyed a cup of coffee with the big-league club in 2022. Overall, he posted an unimpressive 0-4 record with a 10.55 ERA in six starts for Boston.

The Red Sox traded Seabold to the Colorado Rockies before the 2023 season. He appeared in 27 games that year, making 13 starts for the Rockies. Seabold finished the season 1-7 with a 7.52 ERA.

Colorado released Seabold before the 2024 season, after which he headed overseas, when he signed a one-year contract with Samsung Lions of the Korean Baseball Organization.

“A successful year overseas (3.43 ERA and 158 strikeouts in 28 starts) earned him a minor league contract with the Rays this past February,” Morgenstern reported. “However, he only made it into three games across two short stints with the big league club before he was DFA’d.

“While he pitched just fine in those three appearances (6 2/3 IP, 1 ER, 5 K), the problem was his performance at Triple-A Durham. In 16 games (10 starts), he allowed 44 runs, including 14 homers, with a concerning 57:26 strikeout-to-walk ratio,” Morgenstern added.

Seabold joins a Braves organization struggling to remain relevant. Atlanta (51-67) is in fourth place in the National League East, 17 1/2 games behind the first-place Phillies. The Braves are 12 games back in the NL Wild Card standings, putting Atlanta in the position to play spoiler during the stretch run.