Nick Anderson Retires
Right-hander Nick Anderson has retired, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 35-year-old spent six seasons in the big leagues. He pitched for five teams, most recently appearing with the Rockies in 2025.
Anderson inked a minor league deal with the Athletics in November. He earned an invitation to Spring Training, where he pitched reasonably well, tossing 10 1/3 frames with a 4.35 ERA and more than a strikeout per inning. The veteran fell short of a big-league roster spot out of camp. He triggered an upward mobility clause in his deal, but no club stepped in to add him.
With no MLB roster spot waiting for him, Anderson headed to Triple-A Las Vegas. He pitched well with the Aviators. The righty posted a 2.16 ERA with a 16:5 strikeout-to-walk ratio over 15 appearances. It wasn’t enough for him to earn a call-up to the A’s.
The Twins signed Anderson as an undrafted free agent in 2015. He was already 24 years old when he got his first look in pro ball. Anderson pitched well in the minors with Minnesota, reaching Triple-A by 2018. He was dealt to Miami for third baseman Brian Schales that offseason. Anderson broke camp with the Marlins in 2019. He delivered a sub-4.00 ERA with a massive 37.1% strikeout rate over 45 appearances. Miami shipped Anderson and righty Trevor Richards to Tampa Bay at the trade deadline for outfielder Jesus Sanchez and righty Ryne Stanek.
Anderson put together the best stretch of his career with the Rays, though injuries limited him from emerging as a true shutdown reliever. He closed the 2019 season with a ridiculous 52.6% strikeout rate in 23 appearances with his new team. Anderson was just as good in the postseason, allowing one earned run over 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts. He continued his strong work in the shortened 2020 season, opening the year with 11 scoreless appearances. He missed time with forearm inflammation, but returned in time to pick up three saves and two holds in September.
The 2020 postseason marked a shift in Anderson’s career. He struggled mightily as the Rays marched to the World Series. The righty was scored upon in eight of 10 outings. Anderson blew leads in Game 4 and Game 7 of the Fall Classic. He was charged with the loss in the final game of the series.
Anderson threw just six innings from 2021 to 2022 as he dealt with a back injury, a torn UCL, and plantar fasciitis. He departed for the Braves in free agency ahead of the 2023 season. Anderson bounced around frequently after his tenure with the Rays. He spent time with eight different organizations over the past four years. Anderson posted decent seasons with the Braves and Royals, but was ineffective in a brief stint with the Rockies last year.
Anderson wraps up his time as a big leaguer with a 3.43 ERA over 173 innings. He recorded 10 saves. The righty was one of the league’s best bat-missing relievers for a couple of seasons. Despite tailing off in the past few years, he’ll conclude his career with a 30.2% strikeout rate. We at MLBTR wish Anderson the best in whatever comes next.
Photos courtesy of Nick Wosika, Kim Klement, Imagn Images
Nick Anderson Has Upward Mobility Clause In Athletics Deal
March 28: Anderson went unclaimed on waivers and will start the year with the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate, per an update from Ari Alexander.
March 25: Right-hander Nick Anderson has an upward mobility clause in his minor league deal with the Athletics and plans to trigger it tomorrow, reports Ari Alexander. The reliever signed with the club in early November.
The Athletics have not released their Opening Day roster, but based on this development, it would seem Anderson has failed to make the team. By triggering the clause, the veteran will be offered to every other team in the league. If any club is willing to give him a roster spot, the A’s will have to do the same, or work out a trade. If all 29 teams pass on Anderson, he can be sent to the minors.
The 35-year-old Anderson posted an unremarkable 4.35 ERA across 10 spring outings, but did punch out more than a batter per inning. He was competing for a bullpen spot with fellow non-roster invitees Wander Suero, Brooks Kriske, and Joel Kuhnel, among others. The Athletics added veterans Mark Leiter Jr. and Scott Barlow to a young bullpen this offseason.
Anderson scuffled to a 6.14 ERA in a dozen games with the Rockies last season. He also spent time in the minors with the Mariners and Cardinals. Anderson has pitched for five MLB squads since he debuted with the Marlins in 2019.
Just four months into his big-league career, the Rays acquired Anderson at the trade deadline for outfielder Jesus Sanchez and right-hander Ryne Stanek. Trevor Richards also came to Tampa Bay in the deal. Anderson emerged as a weapon on a Rays club that won 96 games. He posted a ridiculous 52.6% strikeout rate in 21 1/3 innings down the stretch. Anderson was just as good in the shortened 2020 season, delivering a microscopic 0.55 ERA with a 44.8% strikeout rate.
Injuries took a toll on Anderson beginning in the 2020 campaign. He missed time with forearm inflammation, a lower back strain, a torn UCL, and plantar fasciitis over the next three years. Anderson bounced between seven different organizations after leaving Tampa Bay in free agency following the 2022 season.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images
A’s, Nick Anderson Agree To Minor League Deal
The Athletics are in agreement with reliever Nick Anderson on a minor league contract with an invite to big league camp, reports Jon Morosi of MLB Network. The Gaeta Sports Management client would be paid at a $1MM rate if he cracks the MLB roster.
Anderson made 12 appearances with the Rockies this past season. He allowed 10 runs over 14 2/3 innings, striking out 10 while issuing a pair of free passes. The 35-year-old righty pitched in Triple-A with the Cardinals, Rox and Mariners. He combined for a 5.26 earned run average over 38 outings despite striking out an above-average 27.1% of batters faced.
A veteran of six big league seasons, Anderson has moved around as a depth piece since excelling in leverage spots with the Rays from 2019-20. Anderson has missed bats in Triple-A over the past couple years but hasn’t translated that into many whiffs against MLB competition. He still has mid-90s velocity and a career 3.43 ERA over 177 big league outings. That has gotten him various looks on minor league contracts over the past couple years.
The A’s have one of the younger bullpens in MLB. None of their projected relievers have even two years of service time. They’ll surely make more impactful bullpen pickups over the next couple months, but it’s no surprise that they’re looking to add an experienced arm like Anderson to compete for a middle relief spot in Spring Training.
Players Entering Minor League Free Agency
Major League free agents became eligible to sign with other teams on Thursday, but the minor league free agent market has technically been open since season’s end. MLBTR has published several posts detailing players who had already elected to become minor free agents, but Baseball America’s Matt Eddy (multiple links) has the full account of all the minor league free agents that officially joined their big league counterparts on the open market on Thursday.
This list details only players who have played in the Major Leagues, and whose minor league free agency hasn’t already been covered on MLBTR in the last month.
Athletics: Aaron Brooks, Carlos Duran, CD Pelham, Bryan Lavastida, Nick Martini, Alejo Lopez
Braves: Ian Anderson, Davis Daniel, Enoli Paredes, Amos Willingham, Brian Moran, Jonathan Ornelas, Chandler Seagle, Matthew Batten, Conner Capel
Orioles: Jakson Reetz, Livan Soto, Thaddeus Ward
Red Sox: John Brebbia, Isaiah Campbell, Mark Kolozsvary, Chadwick Tromp, Seby Zavala, Trayce Thompson
Cubs: Yency Almonte, Zach Pop, Caleb Kilian, Austin Gomber, Forrest Wall, Billy Hamilton, Joe Ross, Tommy Romero, Antonio Santos, Tom Cosgrove, Dixon Machado, Nicky Lopez, Carlos Perez
White Sox: Elvis Peguero, Kyle Tyler, Vinny Capra, Chris Rodriguez, Caleb Freeman, Joe Perez, Owen White, Andre Lipcius
Reds: Tejay Antone, Alan Busenitz, Buck Farmer, Josh Staumont, P.J. Higgins, Eric Yang, Levi Jordan, Edwin Rios, Davis Wendzel, Evan Kravetz, Adam Plutko, Charlie Barnes, Alex Young
Guardians: Riley Pint, Tyler Naquin, Parker Mushinski
Rockies: Xzavion Curry, Sean Bouchard, Owen Miller, Karl Kauffmann,
Tigers: Kevin Newman, Brian Serven, Jordan Balazovic, Nick Margevicius, Blair Calvo
Astros: Jon Singleton, Joe Hudson, Kenedy Corona, Greg Jones, Matt Bowman, Luis Contreras, Tyler Ivey, John Rooney
Royals: John Gant, Spencer Turnbull, Bobby Dalbec, Diego Castillo, Geoff Hartlieb, Jordan Groshans, Nick Pratto, Isan Diaz, Stephen Nogosek, Nick Robertson, Joey Krehbiel, Noah Murdock, Ryan Hendrix
Angels: Shaun Anderson, Brandon Drury, Yolmer Sanchez, Ben Gamel, Evan White, Cavan Biggio, Logan Davidson, Travis Blankenhorn, Oscar Colas, Kelvin Caceres, Dakota Hudson, Chad Stevens, Angel Felipe, Jordan Holloway, Victor Gonzalez
Dodgers: Michael Grove, Luken Baker, Giovanny Gallegos, Kyle Funkhouser, Chris Okey, CJ Alexander, Zach Penrod
Marlins: Jack Winkler, Lane Ramsey
Brewers: Luis Urias, Oliver Dunn, Julian Merryweather, Daz Cameron, Drew Avans, Josh Maciejewski, Jared Oliva
Twins: Jose Miranda, Anthony Misiewicz, Jonah Bride, Thomas Hatch, Daniel Duarte, Connor Gillispie
Mets: Joey Meneses, Jose Azocar, Joe La Sorsa, Gilberto Celestino, Ty Adcock, Bryce Montes de Oca, Yacksel Rios, Oliver Ortega, Luis De Los Santos
Yankees: Kenta Maeda, Jeimer Candelario, Rob Brantly, Andrew Velazquez, Jose Rojas, Joel Kuhnel, Wilking Rodriguez
Phillies: Matt Manning, Adonis Medina, Lucas Sims, Jacob Waguespack, Phil Bickford, Rodolfo Castro, Oscar Mercado, Brewer Hicklen, Christian Arroyo, Payton Henry
Pirates: Brett Sullivan, Nick Solak, Nelson Velazquez, Beau Burrows, Ryder Ryan
Cardinals: Zach Plesac, Anthony Veneziano, Tyler Matzek, Zack Weiss, Drew Rom, Aaron Wilkerson
Padres: Eguy Rosario, Tim Locastro, Reiss Knehr, Nate Mondou
Giants: Sean Hjelle, Miguel Diaz, Max Stassi, Sam Huff, Cole Waites, Drew Ellis, Ethan Small
Mariners: Michael Fulmer, Casey Lawrence, Collin Snider, Jesse Hahn, Nick Anderson, Josh Fleming, Austin Shenton, Jacob Nottingham, Beau Taylor, Cade Marlowe, Jack Lopez, Michael Mariot, Hagen Danner
Rays: Cooper Hummel, Jonathan Hernandez, Jamie Westbrook, Tres Barrera
Rangers: Omar Narvaez, Cal Quantrill, Ty Blach, Alan Trejo, Joe Barlow, Cory Abbott, Michael Plassmeyer, Alex De Goti
Blue Jays: Eloy Jimenez, Buddy Kennedy, Joe Mantiply, Elieser Hernandez, Rene Pinto, Adam Kloffenstein
Nationals: Francisco Mejia, Juan Yepez, Joan Adon, CJ Stubbs, Parker Dunshee, Erick Mejia, Adrian Sampson, Delino DeShields
Nick Anderson Elects Free Agency, Reaches Deal With Mariners
11:38am: Anderson is joining Seattle on a minor league deal, as noted by Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times.
7:58am: Right-hander Nick Anderson has reached a deal with the Mariners, according to a report from Joel Sherman of the New York Post. It’s a somewhat unusual situation, as Anderson had been on the Rockies’ 40-man roster and pitched in an MLB game as recently as August 27. According to the transactions log on Anderson’s MLB.com profile page, the Rockies optioned Anderson to Triple-A on August 29 and he elected free agency just yesterday. Anderson has enough service time that he can’t be optioned to the minors without his consent, so his departure from the organization might be related to Colorado’s decision to option him earlier this week.
In any case, Anderson now appears to be headed to the Mariners. It’s unclear is his agreement with Seattle is a major or minor league deal, but the Mariners would need to clear a 40-man roster spot to accommodate Anderson if he’s to be added to the roster. The 35-year-old hurler made 12 appearances for the Rockies this season and pitched to an ugly 6.14 ERA, but the vast majority of the damage against him came in a five-run debut outing on July 26. In 11 appearances during the month of August, Anderson posted a more respectable 3.29 ERA, albeit with a 4.95 FIP and a strikeout rate of just 19.2%.
That’s a far cry from what Anderson looked like at his peak effectiveness. The right-hander made his big league debut as a member of the Marlins in 2019 but was traded to the Rays by the end of the year. He was utterly dominant for Tampa in parts of three seasons from 2019 to 2021 with a 1.85 ERA, a 2.42 FIP, and a 42.5% strikeout rate. Elbow injuries limited him to just six innings in 2021 and cost him his entire 2022 campaign, however, and that brought an end to his time with the Rays. Anderson resurfaced as a member of the Braves back in 2023, and while his strikeout rate had dropped to 25.5% he was still a solid late-inning option with a 3.06 ERA and 3.09 FIP across 35 appearances.
The wheels started to come off last year for Anderson. In 49 appearances since the start of the 2024 campaign, he’s posted a lackluster 4.65 ERA and 5.00 FIP. Of course, it should be noted that he’s not gotten consistent MLB work in that time, though his Triple-A numbers don’t exactly inspire confidence either. Still, Anderson has been dominant in the past and is just two years removed from being a quality contributor from the bullpen. Perhaps joining an organization vaunted for its strong pitching staff like Seattle could help Anderson get right and contribute to the Mariners’ bullpen down the stretch this season. Andres Munoz and Matt Brash have the late innings covered for the team, but perhaps Anderson could push someone like Emerson Hancock out of the bullpen and back to Triple-A or even take the expanded roster spot that will open up for the organization tomorrow.
Rockies Designate Sean Bouchard For Assignment
The Rockies announced a series of roster moves Friday — unrelated to their reported trade of Ryan McMahon to the Yankees — most notably designating outfielder Sean Bouchard for assignment in order to open a spot on the 40-man roster for veteran reliever Nick Anderson, whose previously reported promotion from Triple-A is now official. Colorado also optioned infielder Adael Amador to Triple-A, reinstated infielder Thairo Estrada from the injured list and placed righty Victor Vodnik on the paternity list.
Bouchard, 29, has seen action in each of the past four seasons for the Rockies but has battled frequent injuries — most notably missing nearly the entire 2023 season due to a torn biceps. He showed plenty of promise early in his career despite lofty strikeout rates, slashing .304/.429/.563 in 140 plate appearances from 2022-23.
Bouchard struggled considerably since returning from that biceps injury, however, hitting only .178/.272/.274 in 181 big league plate appearances. His previously strong numbers in Triple-A have dropped off this season, too, as his minor league strikeout rate has spiked to 33.2% (and his big league strikeout rate, in 73 plate appearances, jumped to 37%).
At his best, Bouchard looked the part of a potential power-hitting right fielder with average speed and solid defense. He’s now 29 years old, however, and struggling for a second straight season after incurring a major injury during his age-27 season. This is his final minor league option year as well, and with the Rockies breaking in several young outfielders (most notably Jordan Beck), Bouchard’s opportunities have dried up.
The Rox will have five days to trade Bouchard or place him on outright waivers. He hasn’t been outrighted in the past and doesn’t have three years of major league service time, so if he passes through waivers unclaimed, he’d stick in the organization as a non-roster depth piece in Triple-A for at least the remainder of the current season.
Rockies To Select Nick Anderson
The Rockies are set to select the contract of right-hander Nick Anderson from Triple-A Albuquerque, as first reported by Chase Ford of MiLB Central. Colorado is off today while traveling to Baltimore for a three-game set against the Orioles, so the move might not be formally announced until tomorrow.
Anderson, 35, signed a minor league pact with Colorado back in late May. He spent the early portion of the season with the Cardinals’ Triple-A club after originally signing a minor league deal with St. Louis. He opted out of that deal before landing with the Rox.
A veteran of five big league seasons, Anderson has an outstanding track record of results in the majors but a poor track record of health. Dating back to the 2020 season, he’s missed time with a shoulder strain, an internal brace procedure on his right ulnar collateral ligament, plantar fasciitis, a back strain and forearm inflammation.
When healthy enough to take the field, Anderson has pitched 158 1/3 innings with a 3.18 ERA, a 31.6% strikeout rate and a 7.8% walk rate. He boasts an excellent 34.1% opponents’ chase rate and 15.4% swinging-strike rate in his big league career.
Anderson has pitched 11 1/3 innings with the Rockies’ Triple-A club and allowed six runs on 13 hits and six walks (three intentional) with 15 strikeouts. It comes out to a 4.76 ERA, though nearly all of the damage against him came in one nightmare outing where he yielded four runs to the Padres’ Triple-A club without recording an out.
The Rockies’ 4.91 bullpen ERA is fifth-worst in the majors, and over the past month they’re at a 5.87 mark that ranks 28th in MLB. Jake Bird, their most effective reliever for much of the season, has run into a particularly rough patch over the past 30 days (10 runs in 8 2/3 frames). It’s not a surprise to see Colorado taking a look at a fresh arm.
Beyond that, it’s quite possible that some members of the bullpen will be shipped off to new clubs in the week between now and the July 31 trade deadline. Recent struggles notwithstanding, Bird stands as a logical trade candidate alongside veterans Tyler Kinley and Jimmy Herget. If the Rockies want to go a step further, controllable power arms like Seth Halvorsen and Victor Vodnik would surely command prominent interest. Vodnik is controlled through 2029, however, while Halvorsen is controlled all the way through 2030.
Rockies, Nick Anderson Agree To Minor League Deal
Reliever Nick Anderson has a minor league deal with the Rockies, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2. Anderson, a client of Gaeta Sports Management, had been on a minor league contract with the Cardinals. He triggered an opt-out and quickly found another landing spot.
Anderson had been pitching for the Cards’ top farm team in Memphis. He made 17 appearances, allowing a 6.20 ERA over 20 1/3 innings. His respective strikeout (21.5%) and walk (8.6%) rates weren’t terrible, but he gave up a fair amount of hard contact and had a tough time stranding runners. St. Louis unsurprisingly decided not to call him up when he triggered the out clause.
The 34-year-old Anderson appeared in the majors with the Royals in the first half of last season. He tossed 35 2/3 frames of 4.04 ERA ball with a modest 19% strikeout rate. Anderson subsequently spent time in Triple-A with the Dodgers and Orioles but didn’t get a major league opportunity with either club.
Anderson has been a journeyman middle relief type since his brilliant 2019-20 run between Miami and Tampa Bay. He provided the Braves 35 1/3 innings of 3.06 ERA ball a couple seasons back and still sits in the 94-95 MPH range with his fastball. Colorado’s bullpen has managed a serviceable 4.29 ERA overall, but they’re last in MLB with an 18.9% strikeout rate.
Cardinals’ Nick Anderson Clears Waivers, Will Report To Triple-A
March 24: Anderson was not claimed and will open the season in Triple-A Memphis. He has a straight opt-out clause (as opposed to his current upward mobility clause) on May 30, per Alexander.
March 22: Anderson will indeed be exercising his upward mobility clause tomorrow, KPRC 2’s Ari Alexander reports.
March 18: The Cardinals reassigned righty Nick Anderson to minor league camp, but the right-hander has an upward mobility clause in his minor league deal, reports Katie Woo of The Athletic. Effectively, that forces the Cardinals to make him available to the 29 other teams and let him go if another club is willing to place him on its 40-man roster.
More specifically, MLBTR has learned that Anderson will be available to other clubs on March 23. They’ll have 24 hours to decide whether they want to claim him and place him on the 40-man roster. If another team is willing to do so, the Cardinals will have 72 hours to counter by placing him on their own 40-man roster; if they choose not to, they have to let him go. Anderson’s deal contains a $1.1MM base salary in the big leagues.
Anderson, 34, has had a rollercoaster career. At times, he’s been flat-out dominant, as was the case in 2019-20, when he pitched 81 1/3 innings of 2.77 ERA ball with a ridiculous 42.2% strikeout rate and 6.5% walk rate. He’s never quite recreated that success but has generally been effective when healthy. That, unfortunately, has proven to be a major caveat for the oft-injured righty.
Though he debuted in 2019 and has more than five years of MLB service, Anderson only has 158 1/3 innings of major league work under his belt. He’s been sidelined by a laundry list of injuries, including a shoulder strain, and internal brace procedure on his right ulnar collateral ligament, plantar fasciitis, a back strain and forearm inflammation. All of those injuries have occurred since 2020.
It’s been a mixed bag for Anderson this spring. He’s had a few solid outings but was tagged for four runs in one-third of an inning midway through camp. In his final appearance before being sent out to minor league camp, he gave up a pair of solo homers in an inning of work. Overall, he’s yielded eight runs on 11 hits and two walks and six strikeouts in 5 1/3 frames — a grisly 13.50 ERA. It’s a small sample that’s heavily skewed by that one particularly awful outing, but it’s still not an ideal set of results when hoping another club might come calling with a 40-man roster opportunity.
Rocky spring notwithstanding, Anderson touts a 3.18 earned run average in the majors and has paired that with plus strikeout and walk rates of 31.6% and 7.2%, respectively. If a club watched him during Grapefruit League play and felt his raw stuff outshined the small-sample run prevention numbers, it’s feasible that his track record and current health could prompt another team to take a look. His $1.1MM base salary is only $340K north of league minimum. However, because he has five-plus years of MLB service, Anderson would need to consent to be optioned with another team, which only throws another layer into the equation when weighing the possibility of adding him once he’s formally available.
Cardinals Sign Nick Anderson To Minor League Deal
The Cardinals announced Friday that they’ve signed righty Nick Anderson to a minor league deal and invited him to major league spring training. Anderson, a client of Gaeta Sports Management, recently worked out for big league scouts to show his readiness after an injury-marred 2024 season. Ari Alexander of KPRC-2 reports that Anderson would earn $1.1MM in the majors. His contract contains an upward mobility clause that allows another team to add him to their Opening Day roster if he’s not going to break camp with the Cardinals.
Anderson also finished out the 2023 season on the injured list due to a shoulder strain. He began the 2022 season on the shelf while mending from an internal brace procedure the prior year, and his ’22 campaign ended due to plantar fasciitis. In his injury-dotted big league career, Anderson has also missed due to a back strain and a forearm issue.
It’s a laundry list of injuries, but Anderson has typically been excellent when healthy. Dating back to his 2019 MLB debut, he’s pitched 158 1/3 major league innings and logged a 3.18 earned run average. Anderson has 39 holds and 10 saves in his career, and his rate stats are eye-catching: 31.6% strikeout rate, 7.3% walk rate and a gaudy 15.4% swinging-strike rate.
The 34-year-old Anderson gives the Cardinals an upside play in their late-inning mix if he can stay healthy. He hasn’t done that over the course of a full season since 2019, but there’s no harm for the Cardinals in taking a look. A healthy Anderson would be a boon to the bullpen, and he’s throwing well this summer he’d be a natural trade chip as St. Louis looks to restock its farm system. Anderson has 5.094 years of major league service to his credit, so there’s no surplus club control here. He’ll reach six years of big league service with another 78 days in the majors, so he’s very likely to end up a free agent at season’s end one way or another.
The Cardinals’ bullpen heading into 2025 — like their roster as a whole — is largely unchanged. The club has reportedly rebuffed interest in star closer (and pending free agent) Ryan Helsley despite taking a step back to focus on player development. JoJo Romero, Ryan Fernandez, Matthew Liberatore and John King are among the other options for manager Oli Marmol. If Anderson makes the club, it seems fair to expect that he’ll factor into setup duties and perhaps even get a crack at closing games if Helsley is moved or lands on the injured list himself.