Right-hander Blake Parker rejected an outright assignment from the Twins and has instead elected free agency, the team announced to reporters (Twitter link via Betsy Helfand the St. Paul Pioneer Press).
The 34-year-old Parker was non-tendered by the Angels last winter and went on to sign a one-year, $1.8MM deal with the Twins. Parker is still a bit shy of five years of MLB service time, meaning his decision to opt for free agency will actually result in him surrendering the remainder of that contract in exchange for a return to the open market. He’ll look to latch on with another club in hopes of a quick return to the big leagues.
Parker logged a 4.21 ERA in 36 1/3 innings with the Twins but struggled more than that number would indicate. The right-hander’s velocity dipped to its lowest mark since 2014 (91.5 mph average fastball), and he averaged four walks per nine innings pitched — the worst mark of his career excluding a small 17-inning sample in 2016. Parker’s overall strikeout rate, his swinging-strike rate and his first-pitch strike rate were all down from his 2017 peak with the Halos, and he gave up far too much hard contact; Statcast put his 42.9 percent opponents’ hard-hit rate in just the 10th percentile among MLB pitchers and felt that he was actually fortunate to escape with a .246/.331/.442 opponents’ batting line (based on the quality of the contact he allowed).
Parker turned in an outstanding 2017 season with the Angels when he logged 67 innings of 2.54 ERA ball with 11.5 K/9 against 2.1 BB/9 with a 47-percent grounder rate. But after striking out more than a third of batters he faced that season, Parker whiffed just 21.7 percent of opponents this year, and his walk rate jumped four percent as well. Between the diminished K/BB numbers and a career-high 1.73 HR/9, fielding-independent metrics like FIP (5.35), xFIP (4.79) and SIERA (4.58) were all rather bearish on Parker’s performance.
We all make mistakes.
If the Mets do trade Diaz, they should sign Parker to close for the rest of the season. Wouldn’t be much of a gamble.
Are you a Serious ??
Are you Serious ??
Why not??? The Mets could sign for the league minimum. I didn’t say Parker was great or anything, just an available bullpen atm with closing experience that would cost the Mets a damn thing. It’s either that or just throw Lugo into the 9th inning which wouldn’t be a bad idea either. The Mets are not contending this season, so it really doesn’t matter who closes the rest of the season. The rest of the season is just getting ready for 2020.
***bullpen arm, haha.
I think they should still sign him anyways.
that’s gutsy
I’m sure Friedman and the Dodgers are all over this player already.
could get a cheap deal from a contender or a team that needs innings eaten out if the pen.
Who the heck is Balakay Parker?
Unfortunately I think signing him will be the Cubs big deadline move
Um, no.
If the Cubs want him he will sign with them
Maybe the O’s should look at him if they deal Givens.
I was thinking this had Marlins written all over it
I was thinking the same thing. The O’s pitching is so poor. They could do worse.
Parker is nothing now. He had a child and his mind not in the game now.
He already had two kids
Twins just saved some money. Only 48 hours to spend it, get going Falvey!
Parker looks like a mental patient on the mound….shaking back and forth before he bounces the ball 3 feet in front of the plate
I would take Parker at the league minimum no questions asked. For low leverage situations, he could be nice
Wow! The Twins gotta love that he walked away from the rest of that contract.
I’d like to see the Red Sox sign him… unless they’re serious about getting someone like Diaz from the Mets or another elite RP… if not though I think a guy like Parker could really help stabilize their shaky pen situation. I’m not saying he’s going to be a miracle worker/dominant CL or anything like that — but I do think he’s a solid bullpen arm and relatively dependable/consistent — which is something the Sox are dearly lacking!
Parker is one of the really good guys in baseball. As a guy who gets shuttled from AAA to the big leagues, there is a place for him.
This is where not having options hurts a player. If you can be claimed when you are sent down, why should a team even try to use you in that manner?
A really good guy who can’t seem to figure it out. Not sure he will have a place considering his age…
I’m not really sure what you mean by “can’t figure it out”? He has mediocre stuff. There is nothing to figure out there.
As far as shuttling from AAA to the majors, I bet he would do that, just not in Minnesota and Rochester. I’m sure there are other options.
With LAA he was not that bad as he is now.
Lots of long counts. His control has been lost.
2017 86 K, 16 BB 67 IP
2018 70 K. 19 BB 66 IP
With MN
2019 34 K, 16 BB 36 IP
I’m very disappointed in Parker. He could have been part of something in Minnesota but couldn’t perform well enough and when given an opportunity to improve himself in Rochester, he chose not to. He’s not a MLB pitcher right now. He really should learn to pitch more quickly too. He seems to have very little confidence in his stuff and can’t seem to control his pitches very well.
I guess Parker would rather pitch anywhere at the Major-League level and earn less doing it than to stay in the minors, improve, and wait for the Twins to maybe call him back up.
Best of luck to him, and I hope he catches on somewhere and does well.
Back to the angels! He can take his kids to Disneyland. That’ll make them happy.
He can take his kids to Disneyland. That’ll make them happy
Hopefully Daniels will sign him for mid to late innings for the Rangers
Parker could really get after it.
Cardinals dumpster possibility