Transaction Analysis: The Bad Luck Brewers

TORONTO BLUE JAYS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Purchased the contract of LHP Jeff Francis from Triple-A Buffalo; optioned LHP Colt Hynes to Triple-A Buffalo. [4/19]

From one boring, marginal southpaw to another. Hynes faced eight left-handed batters and yielded a hit or walk to five of them. Oops. Francis probably won't do much better but, with Aaron Loup and Brett Cecil around, he's not likely to serve as a one-or-one reliever—that is, inning or batter—anyway. Francis can instead provide John Gibbons with length; replacement-level length, but length nonetheless. Oh, and the franchise's first all-Canadian battery.

ATLANTA BRAVES Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Signed RHP Mitchell Boggs to a minor-league deal. [4/20]

Thus far, John Hart's tenure in Atlanta has two staples: trading for pitching prospects and signing lottery-ticket relievers. Boggs is the latter, of course. Once a promising set-up man, Boggs has fallen on hard times. Last season he pitched in the minors for three different organizations, all the while notching nearly as many runs allowed (50) as innings pitched (51). Collapses like Boggs' are tough to watch, even from afar, and while there's no reason to expect a reversal of fortune, keep in mind that his descent seemed unimaginable before it happened. Here's hoping Boggs does the impossible.

MILWAUKEE BREWERS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Purchased the contract UTL-S Elian Herrera from Triple-A Colorado Springs; recalled C-L Juan Centeno from Triple-A Colorado Springs; placed C-R Jonathan Lucroy (broken toe) and 2B-L Scooter Gennett (lacerated hand) on the 15-day disabled list; designated RHP Brandon Kintzler for assignment. [4/21]

These Brewers can't even hit the floor. Entering the season, the biggest problem with Milwaukee's roster was its lack of depth. With two more starters hitting the DL, you can see why. While every team would struggle to replace Lucroy (and some to replace Gennett), the Brewers are calling upon a stereotypical third catcher and super-sub type. Neither Centeno nor Herrera is going to do anything but further weigh down the Brewers if they get significant playing time. As a result, Ron Roenicke has to hope Hector Gomez and Martin Maldonado stay healthy and in the starting lineup. Pray for Roenicke.

Kintzler, who has been sidelined due to a finger injury, is a flawed but semi-useful middle reliever. Though in 2014 he posted the worst strikeout-to-walk rate of his career, batters topped his pitches often enough to result in 59 percent groundballs. Kintzler has a low ceiling thanks to a strikeout rate located in Cla Meredith's guest room, but he's essentially a lesser Ryan Webb with more team control. You can understand why Milwaukee is moving on; likewise, you shouldn't be surprised if another team moves in.

NEW YORK METS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Purchased the contract of C-R Kevin Plawecki form Triple-A Las Vegas; recalled RHP Hansel Robles from Triple-A Las Vegas; placed LHP Jerry Blevins (broken forearm) and C-R Travis d'Arnaud (broken finger) on the 15-day disabled list; transferred RHP Zack Wheeler to the 60-day disabled list (Tommy John surgery). [4/21]

Robles is the less popular rookie promotion, and for good reason. He's a short, thick righty who was teetering on non-prospect status before a late-season move to the bullpen. In relief, Robles' fastball gained velocity, giving him a better-than-average offering. Factor in his deceptive delivery, and he was able to strike out 10 of the 30 batters he faced in the PCL. The upside here is limited to middle relief, but that's better than anyone expected around this time last year.

ST. LOUIS CARDINALS Team Audit | Player Cards | Depth Chart

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Recalled RHP Mitchell Harris from Triple-A Memphis; designated outfielder OF-R Gary Brown for assignment. [4/21]

Harris serves as your feel-good story of the week. A Navy graduate who appeared in five Triple-A games before reaching the majors, Harris is a big-bodied righty with an above-average fastball-slider combination. He also owns the distinction of being the only MLB reliever to conduct drug stints in South America; well, probably. Harris likely has the nerves to pitch in high-leverage spots, but seems more certain to settle into a middle-relief role.