The Blue Jays have released left-hander Marc Rzepczynski, per Baseball America’s Chris Hilburn-Trenkle. The veteran reliever had previously signed a minor league deal in hopes of earning a second stint with the Jays, but he wasn’t included in their 60-player pool for Summer Camp.
Last year marked the first time in a decade that the 34-year-old Rzepczynski didn’t throw at least 10 big league innings in a season. He spent the year with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate, struggling to a 5.04 ERA in 44 2/3 frames. His last full big league season came back in 2017.
Rzepczynski has long been one of the league’s more recognizable lefty specialists, holding same-handed batters to a career .227/.295/.305 batting line in 837 plate appearances over a decade in the Majors. Right-handed opponents, however, have logged an .822 OPS against him in 1035 trips to the plate. The new three-batter minimum rule doesn’t exactly do any favors for pitchers of this ilk, although Rzepczynski has had a few seasons along the way where he’s held righties in check for the most part.
In his 10 MLB seasons, Rzepczynski has pitched to a 3.89 ERA (3.88 FIP) with 8.5 K/9, 4.2 BB/9, 0.74 HR/9 and a huge 59.7 percent ground-ball rate in 434 2/3 innings.
Maybe we should name the 3 batter rule after him. The scrabble rule ™
Say the 1st and third hitters are lefties. Can you you intentionally walk the 2nd batter and then take him out after the 3rd batter?
@andre, yes.
I would have thought Rzepczynski was closer to 44.
Me too
Wait for it, chaim has to be salivating at the bit to add yet another cast off….
He has been on the job less than a year and you are already complaining? REAL rich, there Mac.
Scrabble is extinct with the new rule. I don’t mind the three batter rule as much as I thought but the extra innings rule is terrible.
Blain, here is another one, a throwaway you can get on the cheap for your team B Baseball Red Sox North. Mike Perez was stellar on Saturday !!!! He gave up what 5 runs by the second inning to the Baltimore Orioles!!! Great Pickup there too! We will be lucky to win 20 games this year. Henry, with all the money you made, this is the best team you can put out there in the way of a pitching staff ? You could not sign Betts ? One of the best home grown products since Carl Yastrzemski!!! Great Move!!! You had to trade him away ? I saw this too when you let Johnny Damon and Jon Lester get away as free agents too when you had the money.
i cant believe that Martin Perez had a few good starts last year and then suddenly he was a stud. somehow it made the rest of his track record not matter. didnt Phillip Humber throw a perfect game? i rest my case.
Chaim Bloom’s next guy?
His future is in Miami.
Rep…Rzepzy…ummm, dude’s made over 20 mil in his career.
Wether, or not, he throws anymore innings in MLB he’s done pretty well.
2011 Cards will embrace him at next year’s 10-year Anniversary.