With multiple moves made around the holidays now complete, teams are shuffling around their 40-man rosters to make room. The Rangers and Blue Jays each lost a former top prospect to waivers on January 8. Catcher Sam Huff is going to the Giants, while Blue Jays reliever Hagen Danner is headed out west to Seattle.
Arguably the most notable waiver claim on January 8 was Sam Huff, as the 26-year-old will go from Texas to the Giants.
It ends Huff’s run with the Rangers, one that saw the former sixth-round pick become a Futures Game Selection in 2019 and his star ascend to top prospect status quickly. Huff hit 28 home runs in 2019 to become a hot name.
However, Huff never reached his potential with the Rangers. The new Giant graded as a poor defender (-6 BAA, 25th percentile in pop time) with the big club and dealt with significant strikeout problems. Last season in Triple-A, Huff struck out 150 times over 111 games.
Huff, though, did have some success at the plate with Texas. He slashed .258/.313/.455 (.768 OPS) over 214 plate appearances.
Catchers Kyle Higashioka and Jonah Heim are currently on the Rangers’ roster.
The other notable name who moved on the 8th was Hagen Danner, claimed by the Mariners from the Blue Jays. Danner was a catcher drafted in the second round in 2017, one with a great arm. The ex-Blue Jay moved to the mound in 2021, and made his MLB debut in 2023.
The numbers from Danner in 2024 (3.15 ERA, 34 K over 34.1 IP) with Buffalo (AAA) were not had. In his lone MLB outing, which came in 2023, the righty showed a strong arm and can hit the upper-90s. However, he’s also prone to getting his throwing arm caught, which can lead to overthrowing and command problems.
He’ll join a Mariners team known for getting the most out of relievers. Last season, Seattle relievers finished with the ninth-best ERA in baseball.
Additionally, the Royals claimed infielder Braden Shewmake off waivers from the White Sox, Shewmake, a glove-first shortstop, has a career .318 OPS over 71 plate appearances. The 27-year-old was acquired by Chicago over a year ago in the Aaron Bummer trade.
Speaking of the White Sox, the team recently signed Martin Perez to a one-year deal. Make sure to check out our thoughts on the lefty.