The Blue Jays and right-hander David Phelps are in agreement on a Major League contract, reports MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand (via Twitter). The Jet Sports client has already passed his physical, Feinsand adds. ESPN’s Jeff Passan tweets that Phelps will earn $1.75MM on the deal and can make another $750K via incentives.
Phelps, 34, will return to the Jays for a second time in his career after a mixed bag of a 2020 season. He was excellent in 13 innings with the Brewers last year before being torched for 11 runs in 7 2/3 innings following a trade to the Phillies. Phelps missed the 2018 season due to Tommy John surgery but was effective with the Jays and Cubs in his 2019 return. Toronto flipped him to Chicago at the ’19 deadline and received righty Tom Hatch in return.
Despite that ugly finish in 2020, Phelps posted a career-high 36.5 percent strikeout rate against a career-low 5.9 percent walk rate last year. That’s reason for encouragement moving forward, and Phelps’ general track record at the MLB level is a good one. He oscillated between the rotation and bullpen for the Yankees early on but has taken off since moving to the ’pen on a full-time basis.
From 2016-20, Phelps has tossed 197 1/3 innings with a 3.24 ERA, a 3.47 SIERA and a 29.6 percent strikeout rate that sits well above the league average. His 10.6 percent walk rate is a tick above par and could stand to come down, so the Jays will surely look to help him continue last year’s strides in that regard (while leaving behind the home-run woes that plagued him in Philadelphia).
Phelps becomes the third veteran addition of the offseason for a Toronto bullpen that previously was lacking in experience. The Jays already added Kirby Yates on an incentive-laden deal, and they also bought low on righty Tyler Chatwood with the intent of moving him from a starting role to the bullpen. That trio will be joined by Jordan Romano, Rafael Dolis and likely Ryan Borucki, though the final few ’pen spots and specific roles (beyond Yates, who is expected to close) will need to be sorted out in camp.
Wash the Phillies bullpen voodoo off him and this is great!
Or does he infect the Blue Jays with 2020-Phillies-bullpen-itis.
He could. Highly infectious disease which has already claimed the likes of Robertson, Workman, Hembree, Hunter, Neshek, and himself, among others. I hope everybody’s shots are up to date…
COPHIL-19
@von purple hayes
Very difficult to get a test at the moment. Probably best to have him stand throughout the first couple of weeks next to a minor league infielder. If said infielder starts throwing it into the stands, howling at the moon (even at midday) or perhaps biting people – clearly he’s picked up the Phillie strain of bullpenitis. (Don’t miss out the “it” there by the way – hasty edit, wishful thinking)…
I think this is part of the MLB/MLBPA health and safety protocols as agreed earlier this week.
Haha. You guys don’t disappoint. Great thread.
Jays turned him into Hatch the first time around. That was good.
Maybe he’ll bring back/do better this time?
Phillies shouldve brought hin back
Not gonna speak for Mr Phelps but maybe he didn’t want to go back after his horrific stint with them. Good with Brewers trash with Phillies.
why does how he played with the team matter to him? it’s usually the other way around.
fresh start, fans already gave up on him, doesnt like Philly at all, etc
Lu,
Then don’t.
Maybe, but he didn’t look great in a Philly. Tough place to pitch and all, but it was amazing how many talented arms just stunk for the Phils in 2020.
id take the whole body of work since his injury as a better gauge of what to expect.
Yea. Especially when talking about 2020.
I agree. The Phillies bullpen is a cesspool. It hasn’t been good since Billy Wagner was in it.
Oh it was plenty good post-Wagner. Romero>Madson>Lidge was the best it’s ever been.
It was as if Carlos Beltran was living in the visitor’s clubhouse. On a Jim Salisbury podcast earlier this week, he was saying he couldn’t believe the swings the opposing batters were taking against the Phillies bullpen. No doubts, no fears, almost like they knew what was coming.
Was one of the guys I was keeping an eye on for the Yanks pen, too.
Alas.
Neither of us is now happy, @darkside.
Good 2020 until he went into the black hole also known as the Phillies bullpen
Great signing! Just don’t pitch him in the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, or 9th innings.
The ideal 10th-inning guy. He’s been working all winter on his pickoff throw to second base.
What happened to Phelps in Philly?
Not sure if he’s a big upgrade over Cole or Patrick Murphy.
So does this mean Payamps will be in waivers again ?
They already DFA’d Shun Yamaguchi to clear a spot for him.
Decent signing for a very reasonable price. Looking at his career numbers those 12 appearances for Philly look like an aberration.
Quite a flurry of dumpster diving this morning.
Odorizzi and Paxton make the most sense. But when have the Blue Jays made any sense? Enjoy 2nd place this season looking ^ at the Yankees all year. The Yankees only need Kluber or Taillon to do well to be better then Toronto, I mean Buffalo. Only way the Bluebirds improve is to get Luis Castillo.
Is Yank4Life a reference to your Yankees fandom or your love-making experience?
Nicely done.
@entelu88- Nicely done, okay tough guy
Well played sir
@baseballpun- somebody sounds salty. Let me guess are you a Buffalo Blue Jay’s fan also? Let the door hit you in the face on your way out.
( ͡ಥ ͜ʖ ͡ಥ)
Yankees sign injured pitchers in an attempt to ward off Toronto. Every year their standards get a little lower. How did the American League get so horrible?
@yanks4life
This guys delusional on his yankees but as all baseball fans know there isn’t a more delusional fan base out there so I guess its expected
While I think the Yankees have a decent team, they need Kluber, Taillon, Judge, Stanton to stay healthy, need bounceback from Severino and German, the bullpen looks a little weak, so that’s hoping on a lot of people to come through for you who havent been able to in past seasons. That’s why I say delusional….the Yanks arent the Dodgers big guy.
Where the Jays are one of the best young teams in the league, they have built what every other team is trying to. Yanks buy not build, buying hasnt won in awhile….building has. FACTS
With the possible exception of Cole, the Yankees are HEAVILY invested in fragility!
@ Rowdy Telles
I agree with some of what you say about the yanks rotation. It’s a lot to depend on for 3/5 guys haven’t pitched in the last year. I hated the taillon trade, but he did change his throwing motion, supposedly it’s supposed to help him. I’m not sure I’d be confident about that. Don’t know if he’s losing velo as a result. But it is what it is and hopefully he can be serviceable.
I disagree with your opinion on the yanks bullpen. They’re ranked as the best still, have a lot of depth, and we got rid of Otto which y’all Tee’d off on. You guys still don’t know what kind of play Vladdy jr is, he looks great though and in shape but let’s see results first. Your guys rotation isn’t that scary either.
But the yanks are built like the jays as well, we have some home grown as well. Haven’t been spending ridiculous amounts in FA except for Cole last year because it had to be done. DJ took a discount to come back. You guys are outspending the Yanks in FA this year. Yanks don’t have a bunch of terrible contracts like 5-6 years ago. Just basically Stanton and in a few years Cole.
Jays have a good promising core and Its great for the al east, but let’s see how they respond over the course of a full year.
@Rowdy’s Telles-delusional? Thinking not. When did I compare the Yankees to the Dodgers. All I said were your lowly Blue Jays weren’t going to keep up with the Yankees. So tired of hearing how much money the Blue Jays have when nobody wants to play for them. You need to grow the f^ and look at the facts and get out of your covid bubble. Enjoy all your games in Buffalo this year. Is that your new home? lol. Good luck with that! Cheers on 2nd or 3rd place this year. Smh
You keep saying Buffalo but they’re not even playing there this year.
@jaysfansince93- Ok sorry, Dudedin Jays. 3rd best team in Florida. lol
Why? He can start games all of a sudden?
Good low-risk signing. I like it.
I like it a lot – low cost, low risk, high potential. His K/BB ratio was amazing – best of his career. It was the home runs from August 23rd to the end that killed him (7 in 10 2/3 IP). But even in that stretch his BB/K was fantastic suggesting he was tipping a pitch or something. Appears fixable on the surface, especially since the Jays have an excellent pitching coach in Pete Walker. Jays pen is now set at all 8 slots assuming Liriano makes the team. Core:Yates/Dolis/Romano, Where Needed:Chatwood/Stripling/Borucki/Phelps/Liriano. Tons of guys in AAA ready to step in with Merryweather, Payamps, Waguespack, Murphy, Zeuch, Hatch, Thornton, Kay, Tice, Mayza, Luciano, and Castro (an NRI). I like it. Not 1992 Henke/Ward/Eichhorn but solid none-the-less.
I agree it’s a good mix of pitchers with different skill sets. Some good young pitchers ready to step up. Even if we dont add another SP before season starts we should be ok to contend, and add another front end starter as the season progresses. Exciting time to be a Jays fan.
I could be wrong, but I don’t believe Merryweather can be sent to AAA without clearing waivers, which he won’t.
That means he’s primed to either start or most likely piggy back with a LH starter like Ray or Matz (possibly even Paxton)
His potential in CLV as a prospect was a TOR pitcher. Let’s give him the opportunity seeing we aren’t signing or trading for one apparently
I forsee alot of Piggybacking this year, Ray and Matz can be followed by Merryweather and Hatch or a different combination (say Pearson followed by Ray or Stripling followed by Matz)
For a change the Jays have too many competent SPs but none that are #1 or #2 except Ryu and possibly Pearson if he starts clicking
Merryweather was awarded an extra option year due to missing so much time because of injuries. Not exactly how that gets determined or by who though.
Merryweather has yet to prove he can be durable and he is pushing 30. There should be zero thought over him ever being stretched. For a guy who’s constantly hurt it makes no sense to make him anything other than a 1-inning pitcher.
Merryweather has one option year left, so he can still be sent to AAA without passing through waivers, and that’s likely where he starts along with Hatch.
Matz and Roark (if they can’t find a taker for him) will have more of an opportunity to crack the rotation at the start of the year since most of the other rotation candidates can start at AAA, including Thornton. After that, it will all depend on how guys perform.
Stripling and Chatwood will be the likely guys to piggyback a Pearson start early in the year.
Merryweather is not a starter or a closer. What he is and will succeed in is being an elite setup guy.
Hopefully the Jays see this.
The Fisher watch is on again!
Nah. I’m thinking Payamps or a guy like Waguespack is dropped.
Just a thought. if the ball this year is to be “dead” compared to the recent juiced years, will strikeouts be as important? Maybe, just maybe pitchers will stop overthrowing and there will be less surgeries.
Nah. It’ll be minimal. Hitters stand so close to the plate that pitchers will opt to overthrow. It will continue while hitters are allowed to remain comfortable in the batters box.
And so endith the Shun Yun Yamaguchi era
Greene or Melancon would of been a better option
The Yamaguchi era should never have started and was said so in these pages when the Jays signed him.
David Phelps is a good guy and will probably be a okay reliever, better than in Philly but he is not going to move the winning a championship needle at all.
Without another elite starter or two, the Jays are not even making the playoffs. Let’s get a grip people like Yanks4life. lol.
@jimmertee- sign Odorizzi and Paxton and forget about Arrieta and your Dunedin Jays will make the playoffs as a wild card this year as the 3rd best team in Florida. lol
@Yank4Life – do you just come here to start beef? Nobody is saying this move is gonna make them better than the yankees. Even singing Odorizzi and Paxton wouldn’t for this upcoming season. But regardless the Jays are gonna be a lot better than they have been in awhile and are clearly better than the Marlins…