The Atlanta Braves purchased the contracts of two 25-year-old Can-Am League pitchers earlier this week. Right-hander Leondy Perez was purchased by the organization on Wednesday and left-hander Sean Bierman was purchased by the organization the following day.
Perez was assigned to Low-A Rome and is expected to join the team by the end of the week. He is the first Quebec Capitals' player to be purchased by a Major League Baseball organization this season. In 16 starts for Quebec this season, Perez posted a 4.05 ERA while striking out 87 batters and surrendering 32 walks in 97 2/3 innings. The last time Perez played affiliated ball was back in 2012 as a member of the Kansas City Royals' organization. He posted a 3.44 ERA in 83 2/3 innings that season, splitting time between Rookie ball and High-A.
The Dominican was originally signed by the Royals on January 25, 2007 as an international costless agent. In his six seasons playing in the Royals' organization, Perez went 24-31 with a 3.68 ERA in 449 2/3 innings. He also struck out 389 batters and walked 132. He has played the last two years in the Can-Am League, following his release from the Royals' organization in March of 2013. In his time in the Can-Am League, Perez has posted a combined 4.05 ERA in 209 innings pitched. He has also gone 13-14 while striking out 176 batters and surrendering 68 walks in that span.
Sean Bierman is expected to be assigned to High-A Lynchburg by the Braves' organization. He was originally a tenth round draft pick of the Tampa Bay Rays back in 2012. He missed his entire 2011 season at Vanderbilt after he underwent Tommy John Surgery in 2010. In his first season in professional baseball, Bierman went 5-3 with a 3.65 ERA in 61 2/3 innings (13 starts). He struck out 45 batters and walked just nine that season. The following year in 2013, he was involved in a trade that sent right-handed pitcher Jesse Crain to the Tampa Bay Rays. Bierman would be sent to the Chicago White Sox organization on October 15, 2013 as a player to be named later, completing the trade that was agreed upon in July earlier that year.
This season was his first season in the White Sox organization and it got off to a shaky start. In his first two starts in Low-A (which only spanned nine innings), Bierman surrendered seven runs on 13 hits and four walks. He also gave up two home runs. Despite his struggles in Low-A, he was promoted to High-A and he settled in nicely. In five relief appearances, he struck out six batters in 5 2/3 innings of work. However, he did give up three runs (two earned), a homer and four walks. The White Sox released Bierman on May 5. He signed with the Rockland Boulders later that month and has been stellar for the club this year. In 17 appearances (16 starts), Bierman has posted a 2.44 ERA in 114 1/3 innings. He has also struck out 63 batters while surrendering 17 walks en route to an 8-6 record. Bierman becomes the second Rockland Boulders' player to be sold to a Major League Baseball organization this season, following infielder Steve Nyisztor who was sold to the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this year.