The Indians announced that they’ve signed left-handed reliever Marc Rzepczynski to a minor league contract. The southpaw, who’d recently been released by the Mariners, has been assigned to Triple-A Columbus.
This’ll mark the second stint with the Indians for Rzepczynski, who pitched for Cleveland from 2013-14 before being traded to the Padres in exchange for outfielder Abraham Almonte at the 2014 non-waiver trade deadline. Since that time, the well-traveled lefty has bounced from San Diego to Oakland to D.C. to Seattle.
[Related: Cleveland Indians depth chart]
Rzepczynski, 32, parlayed a solid 2016 season between the A’s and Nationals into a two-year, $11MM contract with the Mariners. And while he performed reasonably well in the first season of that deal, Rzepczynski struggled enormously in 2018 before being cut loose earlier this month. Nicknamed “Scrabble” due to his spellcheck-busting last name, Rzepczynski posted a 4.02 ERA in 37 1/3 innings for Seattle in 2017, though his 25-to-20 K/BB ratio lefty plenty to be desired. This year, he allowed 11 runs (eight earned) on 13 hits and nine walks with 10 strikeouts in 9 2/3 innings.
Rzepczynski has long been tough on opposing lefties, though, limiting same-handed opponents to a paltry .225/.295/.303 slash through 852 career plate appearances. For a Cleveland club whose bullpen has been among the worst in the Majors this season, he’ll add a veteran depth option that can at least be utilized in situational matchups. That could be all the more important for the Tribe in the near future, as Cleveland currently has both Andrew Miller and Tyler Olson on the disabled list.
The Mariners remain on the hook for the bulk of the $5.5MM salary that Rzepczynski is earning this year. Cleveland will only owe him the pro-rated league minimum for any time he spends at the big league level. That sum, subsequently, would be subtracted from what the Mariners owe him through season’s end.
I think I’m gonna be sick. Tribe will justify the signing by saying that they know him since he’d pitched in CLE from 2013-2015. So in fact they KNEW him when he was effective AND they had Mickey Callaway as pitching coach. Don’t get me wrong – I hope it works out, but that’s a very small probability.
How could you possibly have that strong of a reaction to a minor league deal…. it’s literally zero risk
That bullpen shuttle between Cleveland and Columbus runs 24/7 these days, so regardless of the numbers he generates at AAA he’s gonna be in that Tribe pen at some point.
Probably sometime this week.
That doesn’t answer anything… it’s literally zero risk… minimum salary… if he sucks he’s gone… they are short on lefties…. my goodness the overreactions
It’s not Mr. Ryz’s fault that there’s nothing better available to the Indians at the moment.
Frick, I can’t even abbreviate his name right.
He’ll be their best reliever
An MiLB contract allows the Indians the opportunity to see if Alphabet has the ability to help.. or not.. If he does, he can be useful..
Absolutely expected this one, low-risk signing that cost them nothing if he shows up in n Columbus and doesn’t look ok.
Typical move by a trash team….who’s next, Albie Lopez? No wonder they are barely over ..500
Typical comment, coming from you.
Scraping the bottom of the barrel. Sometimes you find a piece of meat!
At no other position could you find a diamond in the rough then you can with a reliever. Perez was picked off the scrap heap and has done well.