The Marlins have announced that left-hander Stephen Tarpley has been designated for assignment. The move creates roster space for Ross Detwiler, whose signing is now official.
Acquired from the Yankees just shy of a year ago, Tarpley missed a month of the 2020 season due to an oblique strain and otherwise struggled over 11 innings with Miami. The southpaw posted a 9.00 ERA while allowing two homers and eight walks during his small sample size of work. While Tarpley has a 5.8 BB/9 and 1.6 HR/9 over his 44 2/3 career MLB innings with the Marlins and Yankees, he has been almost an entirely different hurler over his 450 2/3 minor league innings — he owns a modest 3.0 BB/9 and only an 0.4 HR/9, while posting often extreme groundball numbers.
With this intriguing resume, it isn’t out of the question that Tarpley is claimed by another team during his DFA period in the hope that another change of scenery could unlock some late-career (Tarpley turns 28 in February) potential. A third-round pick for the Orioles in the 2013 draft, Tarpley also spent some time in the Pirates’ farm system during his career.
Ross Detwiler. The sky is indeed falling.
Man has he been around forever or what? Six degrees of Ross Detwiler, MLB version, you could go back a long way.
The Yankees will bring him back on a minor league deal. They love collecting players on the cheap lately.
Former Pirate….got him and Stephen Brault for Travis Snider….than got Travis back on a waiver claim. One of the Bucs’ better deals, lol.
Yeah that one worked out well. Snider was only gone for about 3 months. I looked him up and Snider has been plugging away in AAA and independent ball ever since, (aside from 2020 obviously), still probably trying to get back to the show. Good for him.
Instead of Tarpley, teams might be better off just letting the tarp pitch. The tarp will probably issue less walks, at any rate.
As bad as the Pirates rotation is, bringing back Tarpley on a minor league contract for depth and potentially replacement for Musgrove. Doesn’t sound all that horrible. Tallion and Tarpley are two injury candidates who haven’t seen a full season, but have plenty of talent if it is unleashed. If both guys come in 2021 ready to pitch, that rotation looks good and will have teams calling come July. Since Searage is gone, I think with the new pitching coach, Tarpley may find traction in Pittsburgh his second time around. Brault and others excelled in a short season under this new pitching coach. So, Pirates should be in on Tarpley and give him a legit shot to increase his stock. Where else is Tarpley going to get a chance to pitch every 4-5 days than in Pittsburgh at the MLB level? Pirates aren’t going to be legit this year and a gamble like with Tarpley wouldn’t hurt them. They already have the lowest payroll in the majors anyways. A cheap candidate who is seeking a chance at the highest level with a club who has no pressure to contend, win-win
What I mean by as “bad as the rotation is” for the Pirates, they have no depth and plenty of guys recovering or coming back from injury. Kuhl, Tallion, Williams, and plenty of promising bullpen arms are going into Spring Training that was hit with a injury or TJ surgery. Tarpley could be another injury case and uncertainty, but also a potential bandaid to the rotation
I think Tarpley’s career is nearly in a failed category. Shame too. The guy has some talent, and of course is a lefty, but he just can’t find the strikezone.
Would be worth a shot for the Orioles. Would be worth the look