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Blake Parker Elects Free Agency

By Steve Adams | July 29, 2019 at 1:49pm CDT

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.

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Minnesota Twins Transactions Blake Parker

Red Sox, Mets Have Discussed Edwin Diaz
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Athletics Designate Brian Schlitter
View Comments (35)
Post a Comment

35 Comments

  1. Moneyballer

    6 years ago

    We all make mistakes.

    Reply
  2. MetsFanaticDanny

    6 years ago

    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.

    1
    Reply
    • monymgr

      6 years ago

      Are you a Serious ??

      Reply
    • monymgr

      6 years ago

      Are you Serious ??

      Reply
      • MetsFanaticDanny

        6 years ago

        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.

        1
        Reply
        • MetsFanaticDanny

          6 years ago

          ***bullpen arm, haha.

          Reply
    • inside source

      6 years ago

      I think they should still sign him anyways.

      Reply
  3. jessecc08

    6 years ago

    that’s gutsy

    Reply
  4. laswagn

    6 years ago

    I’m sure Friedman and the Dodgers are all over this player already.

    Reply
  5. DarkSide830

    6 years ago

    could get a cheap deal from a contender or a team that needs innings eaten out if the pen.

    Reply
  6. ElMagoN9ne

    6 years ago

    Who the heck is Balakay Parker?

    1
    Reply
  7. Yeetus

    6 years ago

    Unfortunately I think signing him will be the Cubs big deadline move

    Reply
    • Banesays

      6 years ago

      Um, no.

      Reply
    • angels fan 3

      6 years ago

      If the Cubs want him he will sign with them

      Reply
  8. Jason Calvert

    6 years ago

    Maybe the O’s should look at him if they deal Givens.

    Reply
    • dvail1979

      6 years ago

      I was thinking this had Marlins written all over it

      Reply
    • TheFixIsIn

      6 years ago

      I was thinking the same thing. The O’s pitching is so poor. They could do worse.

      Reply
  9. Twinbo

    6 years ago

    Parker is nothing now. He had a child and his mind not in the game now.

    Reply
    • angels fan 3

      6 years ago

      He already had two kids

      1
      Reply
  10. KDDtwins

    6 years ago

    Twins just saved some money. Only 48 hours to spend it, get going Falvey!

    4
    Reply
  11. BalllFour

    6 years ago

    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

    2
    Reply
  12. Phillies2017

    6 years ago

    I would take Parker at the league minimum no questions asked. For low leverage situations, he could be nice

    Reply
  13. fieldsj2

    6 years ago

    Wow! The Twins gotta love that he walked away from the rest of that contract.

    1
    Reply
  14. Jeff Zanghi

    6 years ago

    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!

    Reply
  15. macstruts

    6 years ago

    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?

    Reply
    • BigTicket

      6 years ago

      A really good guy who can’t seem to figure it out. Not sure he will have a place considering his age…

      Reply
      • macstruts

        6 years ago

        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.

        Reply
        • BigTicket

          6 years ago

          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

          Reply
  16. Paul Griggs

    6 years ago

    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.

    1
    Reply
  17. The Einheri

    6 years ago

    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.

    Reply
  18. Angels zzzzz

    6 years ago

    Back to the angels! He can take his kids to Disneyland. That’ll make them happy.

    Reply
  19. Angels zzzzz

    6 years ago

    He can take his kids to Disneyland. That’ll make them happy

    Reply
  20. daddy dave

    6 years ago

    Hopefully Daniels will sign him for mid to late innings for the Rangers

    Reply
  21. HubertHumphrey

    6 years ago

    Parker could really get after it.

    Reply
  22. Dad

    6 years ago

    Cardinals dumpster possibility

    Reply

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