The Rays have designated Evan Phillips for assignment and selected the contract of Adam Conley, per Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times.
Phillips was released by the Orioles August 2nd and then signed a minor league deal with the Rays the very next day. After getting into two games with the Durham Bulls, the righty then had his contract selected by the Rays on Thursday. He pitched three innings in Friday’s game against the Twins, allowing one run on three hits and striking out two.
As for Conley, the 31-year-old lefty spent five seasons with the Marlins from 2015 to 2019. He worked primarily as a starter for the first three seasons before transitioning to a bullpen role for the latter two. In total, he tallied 414 1/3 innings during that stretch with an ERA of 4.82. In 2020, Conley was designated for assignment by the Marlins and outrighted without appearing in a game.
The Rays added Conley on a minor league deal back in May. In 31 Triple-A innings this year, he has an ERA of 4.35, including a spike in strikeouts but also walks. His 14.1% walk rate is higher than any previous season at any level, whereas his 26.6% strikeout rate tops all previous stops since his stint in A-ball way back in 2012.
I always thought Adam Conley was going to be better than he actually has been. Granted, with just 2 decent pitches, he was always better suited for the bullpen than as a starter, as the Marlins were trying to make him. I hope the Rays can work their voodoo that they do on him.
He’s just a placeholder until they activate Anderson
……unless he does better than another relief pitcher or there’s an injury.
“…..unless he does better than another relief pitcher or there’s an injury.”
Reminds me of Starship Troopers:
“I need a corporal. You’re it, until you’re dead or I find someone better.”
Conley was looking pretty good when he was first shifted to the bullpen years ago, but then the wheels fell off pretty quickly. Can’t remember if injuries played a role or not, but if there’s one team that can manage to still get something out of him, it’d be the Rays…