MLB PLAYER NEWS

Oakland’s Braden, Devine become free agents

The Sports Xchange

October 30, 2012 at 5:29 pm.

Dallas Braden is free to sign with any team of his choice. (Tom Szczerbowski-US PRESSWIRE)

Oakland Athletics pitchers Dallas Braden and Joey Devine, both coming off major surgeries, declined outright assignments to the minors and chose to become free agents.

Neither pitched in the majors in 2012.

Braden, a 29-year-old left-hander, first underwent shoulder capsule surgery in May 2011. His rehab stalled this summer, and Braden had surgery Aug. 21 to repair a torn rotator cuff. The timetable for his return is uncertain.

Devine, a 29-year-old right-handed reliever, had the second Tommy John surgery of his career in April. The typical timeline for a return from the ligament-transplant procedure is at least 12 months.

Braden is best known for pitching a perfect game on Mother’s Day 2010. He struck out six in a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. Braden finished 11-14 with a 3.50 ERA in 30 starts that year, but he managed just three starts last year (1-1, 3.00 ERA) before needing his first shoulder operation.

In a five-year major league career, spent entirely with the A’s, Braden is 26-36 with a 4.16 ERA in 94 games (79 starts).

Devine went 1-1 with a 3.52 ERA in 26 appearances for Oakland in 2011. He missed the 2009 and 2010 seasons following his first Tommy John operation. Devine pitched for the Atlanta Braves during parts of the 2005, ’06 and 07 seasons.

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