Brewers claiming Angels reliever with brutal stats should make fans suspicious

The Los Angeles Angels are shaking up their roster and coaching staff, and they are casting off predictable non-assets from the 40-man roster. Carson Fulmer, Connor Brogdon, Logan Davidson and Carter Kieboom all cleared waivers, so Fulmer and Brogdon elected free agency while Davidson and Kieboom were optioned to Triple-A. However, one additional player was outrighted as well...but he was claimed off waivers by the team with the best record in baseball. What...do the Milwaukee Brewers know?

Brewers claiming Angels reliever with brutal stats should make fans suspicious

Left-handed reliever Sammy Peralta was mysteriously designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Brewers. Peralta is a 27-year-old sinker-slider guy, who can definitely be categorized as a thumber given his average 4S sitting 88.9 MPH. His most-used pitch is his slider, but opposing hitters slashed 444/.500/.611/1.111 against it this year with the Angels. Peralta's penultimate Angels appearance came against the very same Brewers team. For some reason, Milwaukee liked what they saw? The southpaw went 2.0 innings, allowed 4 hits and 4 runs, with a 0:3 K:BB ratio.

Sammy Peralta is not going to be a Freddy Peralta replacement if they deal him, but knowing the Brewers they will turn the Angels cast-off into a useful big leaguer. For years, the Brewers have rostered several discarded Angels pitchers and turned them into valuable assets. They swindled the Halos when they traded away Hunter Renfroe for Elvis Peguero, Janson Junk and Adam Seminaris. Peguero ended up being a crucial late-inning reliever for some playoff Brewers teams, while Renfroe did not pan out whatsoever in Anaheim. The Brew Crew turned an afterthought Angels reliever in Rob Zastryzny into yet another valuable bullpen arm. Jose Quintana (who is a fine, yet lofty, comp for Sammy Peralta as a player) was also a contributor for the NL Central behemoth this year.

So yes, in a vacuum this waiver claim will likely end up in another DFA for Peralta at some point this offseason. However, you never know with the Brewers and their pitching factory. For his career, Peralta has a 5.12 ERA, 4.30 FIP, 1.71 WHIP, 7.29 K/9 and 4.73 BB/9 in the big leagues. The Brewers probably like the talent, and believe they could pass him through waivers another time and retain him in the minor leagues.