Another under-the-radar move worked out for the Braves as the waiver carousel ended for minor league slugger Adam Walker.
Walker cleared waivers and was outrighted off the Braves’ 40-man roster Tuesday, five days after they claimed him off waivers from the Baltimore Orioles. The Braves were the third team to claim the power-hitting outfielder off waivers in less than three months, after the Milwaukee Brewers claimed him from the Minnesota Twins in November and the Orioles claimed him from the Brewers in January.
But unlike the Brewers and Orioles, who tried unsuccessfully to get Walker through waivers, the Braves’ timing worked as all 29 other teams had full rosters or otherwise elected to pass on Walker, 25. That means the Braves, who’ve found a variety of creative ways to add talent this offseason, can send him to Triple-A.
The move left 39 on their 40-man roster, giving them flexibility to make another move before spring training.
Walker hit .243 with 27 home runs for Triple-A Rochester (Twins) in 2016, the fourth time in four full minor league seasons that he hit at least 25 homers. The 6-foot-5 Wisconsin native also struck out a career-high 202 times in 478 at-bats and had just 44 walks and a .305 OBP.
A third-round draft pick by Minnesota in 2012, Walker played five minor league seasons in the Twins organization and hit .251 with 20 triples, 124 home runs and 429 RBIs in 584 games, with 744 strikeouts and 189 walks in 2,449 plate appearances.
He had a career-high 31 home runs and 106 RBIs for Double-A Chattanooga (Twins) in 2015, striking out 195 times in 502 at-bats.
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