Former Blue Jay Brandon Eisert DFA’ed by Rays

It was only a couple of weeks ago that the Rays acquired him from the Blue Jays, trading cash considerations for the left-handed reliever. This came after the Blue Jays designated him for assignment to make room for Anthony Santander on their 40-man roster.

Eisert was drafted in the 18th round of the 2019 draft by the Blue Jays. The left-handed reliever made his professional debut in 2021, splitting his time between Single-A, High-A, and Double-A where he had a 3.55 ERA and a 3.30 FIP in 63.1 innings pitched, with a 30.3 K% and a 7 BB%.

The left-handed reliever followed that season up with another solid one in 2022. In Triple-A, Eisert posted a 3.41 ERA and a 3.57 FIP in 60.2 innings pitched with a 31 K% and a 6 BB%. The next season, his ERA increased to 4.17, while his FIP sat at 4.20 in 69 innings pitched, you can’t make that up.

Last season, Eisert finished with a 3.86 ERA and a 4.09 FIP in 53.2 innings pitched in Triple-A, but diving deeper into the numbers, he was better than that. In his first outing on Mar. 29, Eisert gave up seven earned runs in two-thirds of an inning pitched. Removing that little blip, he finished the Triple-A season with a 2.72 ERA and a 3.59 FIP in 53 innings pitched, with a 29.8 K% and a 9.2 BB%.

Of course, Eisert also earned a shot in the big leagues last season. In 6.2 innings pitched or three appearances, he had a 4.05 ERA and a 4.37 FIP with a 7.7 K% and a 15.4 BB%.

Time will tell what’s next for Eisert, as the soft-tossing left-handed pitcher has been able to get good results in the past. Perhaps the Jays would like to reclaim him, as they lack southpaw relievers on their 40-man roster.