MILWAUKEE (AP) \u2014 The Milwaukee Brewers boosted their bullpen depth Tuesday by acquiring right-handed pitcher Jake Woodford from the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league right-hander K.C. Hunt.<\/p>\n
Milwaukee made room for Woodford on its 40-man roster by transferring outfielder Akil Baddoo to the 60-day injured list.<\/p>\n
Woodford, 29, spent last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks and went 0-4 with a 6.44 ERA in 22 relief appearances. He struck out 23 batters in 36 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n
He owns a 10-17 career record with a 5.10 ERA in 111 appearances, including 25 starts. The 2015 first-round draft pick pitched for St. Louis from 2020-23 and split the 2024 season between the Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s pitched in a number of different roles,\u201d Brewers president of baseball operations Matt Arnold said. \u201cHe\u2019s been a veteran in the league for a while, a guy we faced obviously with St. Louis, so we have some history with him. He\u2019s an interesting arm that can play a valuable role in a number of different spots in our bullpen or potentially even at the front of games.\u201d<\/p>\n
Arnold said he wasn\u2019t sure whether Woodford would arrive in time to join the Brewers for their season opener Thursday against the White Sox.<\/p>\n
Woodford had been with Tampa Bay as a non-roster invitee this spring. He posted a 1.23 ERA while working 7 1\/3 innings in four Grapefruit League appearances.<\/p>\n
His ability to pitch multiple innings appealed to the Brewers.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust at a point where we wanted to add some depth, and he\u2019s right-handed,\u201d Arnold said. \u201cI think we\u2019re obviously a little more skewed to the left-hand side. So I feel he\u2019s a really good fit for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hunt, 25, went 7-9 with a 4.45 ERA in 26 starts last season for Biloxi, the Brewers\u2019 Double-A affiliate. He struck out 122 and walked 43 in 121 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n