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Parker Bridwell

Angels, Parker Bridwell Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Angels have agreed to a minor league contract with right-hander Parker Bridwell, according to multiple reports (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, on Twitter). It’ll be his third stint with the Halos organization. Presumably, he’ll eventually find his way to Triple-A Salt Lake, though he could also get his feet wet in extended Spring Training or with a lower-level affiliate early on. He’d been with the Athletics in Spring Training but was released a few days into the season after failing to break camp with the A’s.

Bridwell, 27, had an awful 2018 season but was a key member of the Halos’ pitching staff as recently as 2017. That year, he pitched to a 3.64 ERA in 121 innings (20 starts, one relief appearance). Bridwell’s meager 5.4 K/9 mark and sky-high strand rate pointed to some regression, though certainly not to the extent that he struggled last year (13 runs in 6 2/3 MLB frames; 27 runs in 28 Triple-A innings).

The Angels know they’ll be without Andrew Heaney for at least another month, and they opened the year with Nick Tropeano (shoulder) and J.C. Ramirez (recovering from 2018 Tommy John surgery) on the injured list as well. Beyond that, they will of course be without Shohei Ohtani’s presence in the rotation for the entire 2019 season. Injury issues have utterly decimated the Angels’ pitching staff for the past few seasons, so adding a familiar face who’s had success in the upper minors and at the MLB level is a logical move.

Athletics Release Parker Bridwell

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The Athletics have released right-hander Parker Bridwell, per Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com.

This move continues a turbulent several months for Bridwell, who hasn’t been able to find stability since the Angels designated him for assignment in late November. He subsequently went to the Yankees, back to the Angels and then to the Athletics via the waiver wire over the next couple months. The A’s outrighted Bridwell off their 40-man roster almost immediately after claiming him in late January.

Bridwell was a viable starter in Anaheim as recently as 2017, when he posted a sturdy 3.64 ERA with 2.23 BB/9 across 121 innings. That success looked as if it would be hard to sustain, however, given Bridwell’s 5.43 K/9, 38.1 percent groundball rate, .262 batting average on balls in play, 4.84 FIP and 5.07 xFIP. Indeed, the shine wore off during a nightmarish 2018 for the 27-year-old Bridwell, whom injuries limited to 34 2/3 innings between Triple-A and the majors. Bridwell totaled the majority of those frames (28) in Salt Lake, where he logged a hideous 8.68 ERA and allowed 50 hits.

Athletics Sign Marco Estrada

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The Athletics have announced a one-year deal with free-agent right-hander Marco Estrada, as Jane Lee of MLB.com first reported (via Twitter). He’ll be guaranteed $4MM, according to ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan (via Twitter).

The former Brewers/Blue Jays hurler is a client of TWC Sports. To clear roster space, the club has outrighted just-claimed righty Parker Bridwell, per Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle (via Twitter).

This move represents the latest short-term strike from an Oakland organization that wants to boost its pitching staff in the near-term without tying up long-term resources. Naturally, that means taking some chances on players who have not been at top form of late, and Estrada certainly matches that characterization.

The A’s previously inked Mike Fiers and Joakim Soria, but it was clear that the rotation, in particular, was in need of at least one more addition. It’s certainly still possible that other hurlers will be added, at least on minor-league deals.

As for Estrada, he’ll be looking to bounce back from a pair of less-than-effective seasons. Lower body and back issues may partially have been to blame, so returning to full health could make a difference in and of itself. Otherwise, it’s a question whether Estrada can hold off the hands of time for at least one more campaign.

Last year, working in his fourth straight season in Toronto, Estrada posted a brutal 5.64 ERA with 6.5 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9. He was stung, especially, by the long ball. While he only allowed dingers on a reasonable 11.2% of the flyballs put in play against him, that still worked out to 1.82 per nine, due to the large number of flies he permits.

Estrada still works in more or less the same fastball velocity range (89.0 mph) that he long has, though it did dip in the second half as his struggles increased. He also sat at a typical 10.1% swinging-strike rate last year. Perhaps, then, much of his physical skill remains intact.

The A’s surely won’t be expecting an ace-level performance, of course, but they obviously feel confident that Estrada will provide a good volume of solid innings. He has mostly done just that over the course of his MLB career.

Athletics Claim Parker Bridwell

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The Athletics have claimed righty Parker Bridwell off waivers from the Angels, per a club announcement. He had recently been designated for assignment by the Halos for the second time this offseason.

The 27-year-old Bridwell will give the A’s some much-needed rotation depth. Oakland will be without top starter Sean Manaea for the 2019 season following shoulder surgery, and the A’s have also seen 2018 starters Trevor Cahill, Brett Anderson and Edwin Jackson all hit free agency. Right-hander Mike Fiers, too, was briefly a free agent after being non-tendered by Oakland, but he’s since returned on a new two-year contract.

Bridwell struggled through a nightmare season in 2018, pitching just 6 2/3 innings at the Major League level while being clobbered for 13 runs on 14 hits — including five home runs. His Triple-A work wasn’t much better, as injuries limited him to 28 innings and he yielded nearly a run per inning pitched.

However, Bridwell is also only a season removed from 121 innings of 3.64 ERA ball with the 2017 Angels. Bridwell’s meager 5.4 K/9 and near-80 percent strand rate that season called his ability to sustain that success into question, but the A’s are thin on rotation options at the moment and Bridwell now figures to factor squarely into that mix.  He’s out of minor league options, so assuming he sticks on Oakland’s 40-man roster into Spring Training, he’ll need to break camp with the team or else once again be exposed to waivers.

Angels Acquire John Curtiss, Designate Parker Bridwell

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The Angels announced Tuesday evening that they’ve acquired right-handed reliever John Curtiss from the Twins in exchange for minor league infielder Daniel Ozoria. Minnesota designated Curtiss for assignment yesterday upon signing former Angels righty Blake Parker. In order to open space on the roster for Curtiss, the Halos have designated righty Parker Bridwell for assignment.

A sixth-round pick by the Twins back in 2014, Curtiss was considered one of the organization’s more promising relief prospects for much of the past few seasons but hasn’t found big league success to date — albeit it in a tiny sample of work. Through 15 MLB frames, Curtiss has a 7.20 ERA but a more promising 17-to-6 K/BB ratio. Curtiss’ velocity dipped a bit in 2018, and he’s also posted an alarmingly low 18.6 percent ground-ball rate in the big leagues, though he’s previously posted considerably higher marks in the minors. He does bring a career 2.49 ERA at the Triple-A level to the table and has a pair of minor league options remaining, making him an intriguing ’pen option for the Angels.

Bridwell, 27, is only a season removed from 121 innings of 3.64 ERA ball with the 2017 Angels, though his secondary metrics never made that output appear sustainable. Bridwell averaged just 5.4 strikeouts per nine innings pitched that season and stranded nearly 80 percent of the runners allowed — neither of which are conducive to long-term success. This past season, Bridwell pitched just 6 2/3 innings at the Major League level and clobbered for 13 runs on 14 hits — including five home runs. His Triple-A work wasn’t much better, as injuries limited him to 28 innings and he was barely able to keep his ERA south of 9.00 in that time. He’s out of minor league options, so any team that acquires him will need to expose him to waivers once again before being able to send him to the minors. If he clears, he’ll be outrighted to Triple-A and presumably head to camp with the Angels as a non-roster invitee.

In Ozoria, the Twins will add an 18-year-old with minimal professional experience under his belt. The Dominincan-born infielder has experience at shortstop, second base and third base, but he’s yet to demonstrate any power with the Angels’ Rookie-level affiliates and struggled in particular across two levels in 2018. Ozoria has been playing against considerably older and more experienced competition to this point in his young career, but he’s mustered a meek .222/.293/.263 slash through 468 plate appearances. As one would expect for a player with that type of offensive output, Ozoria wasn’t considered among the Angels’ top prospects.

In some respects, the series of transactions can effectively be viewed as the Twins trading Curtiss in exchange for Parker and Ozoria, though they’ll have the benefit of controlling Parker at a lower rate than he’d have earned had Minnesota actually traded for him. The $1.8MM guarantee to which Parker agreed checked in south of the $3.1MM he’d been projected to earn in arbitration before being non-tendered by the Angels.

Angels Claim Parker Bridwell

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The Angels have re-claimed righty Parker Bridwell from the Yankees, per Jeff Fletcher of the Orange County Register (Twitter link). He had previously been lost on waivers to the Yanks, who later exposed him to waivers themselves.

Bridwell, 27, had a surprisingly effective 2017 run with the Halos but fell back hard in the following season. He only threw 34 2/3 innings at all levels in the 2018 season, with abysmal results when he was available. Bridwell’s forgettable season ended with surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow.

Clearly, the Angels still believe there’s hope that Bridwell can get back to where he was in the 2017 season. While his peripherals had suggested cause for skepticism, Bridwell’s overall track record suggests he’s at least least a worthwhile depth piece.

The Angels, like all teams, are understandably interested in ensuring they have enough innings on hand. But they’ll need to carry Bridwell on the active roster to open the season or again expose him to waivers, since he’s out of options.

Yankees Designate Parker Bridwell For Assignment

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The Yankees announced Monday that they’ve designated right-hander Parker Bridwell for assignment in order to clear a spot on the roster for lefty J.A. Happ, whose two-year contract to return to the Bronx is now official. They’ll have a week to trade Bridwell, run him through outright waivers or release him.

Bridwell, 27, is only a season removed from 121 innings of 3.64 ERA ball with the 2017 Angels, though his secondary metrics never made that output appear sustainable. Bridwell averaged just 5.4 strikeouts per nine innings pitched that season and stranded nearly 80 percent of the runners allowed — neither of which are conducive to long-term success. If he clears waivers, he can remain in the Yankees organization, though his 2017 success may pique the interest of a club in need of rotation depth. Of course, Bridwell is also out of minor league options, meaning any team that acquires him — be it via trade or waiver claim — would need to carry him on the 40-man roster and open the season with Bridwell on the 25-man roster or else once again expose him to outright waivers.

The 2018 season was an ugly one for Bridwell, as he was limited to just 6 2/3 innings at the Major League level and clobbered for 13 runs on 14 hits — including five home runs. His Triple-A work wasn’t much better, as injuries limited him to 28 runs and he was barely able to keep his ERA south of 9.00 in that time. New York claimed him off waivers back on Nov. 25.

Yankees Claim Parker Bridwell, Designate Ronald Torreyes For Assignment

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The Yankees announced Monday that they’ve claimed right-hander Parker Bridwell off waivers from the Angels and designated utility infielder Ronald Torreyes for assignment.

Bridwell, 27, could potentially give the Yanks some rotation depth. He’s only a season removed from 121 innings of 3.64 ERA ball with the 2017 Halos, though his secondary metrics never made that output appear sustainable. Bridwell averaged just 5.4 strikeouts per nine innings pitched that season and stranded nearly 80 percent of the runners allowed — neither of which are conducive to long-term success. Bridwell is also out of minor league options, so he’ll have to be carried on the 40-man roster all winter and break camp with the team in 2019 or else once again be exposed to waivers.

New York may well plan to try to sneak Bridwell through waivers themselves, as he’s already been passed up on by most of the teams in MLB. League-specific waiver priority applies in August but not the offseason, meaning that every team but the Astros and Red Sox passed on claiming Bridwell.

Obviously, the addition of Bridwell does nothing to limit the Yankees’ continued approach to add to the rotation this winter. New York has already added a pair of starters in trading for James Paxton and re-signing CC Sabathia, but there’s still an additional need in the rotation — especially once Sonny Gray is inevitably traded — and the Yanks will continue to be tied to several of the top names on both the trade and free-agent markets.

The versatile Torreyes has been a usable utility piece for the Yankees over the past three seasons, though his OBP dropped to an unpalatable .294 last season. He’s a .281/.308/.374 hitter in his three seasons in Yankee Pinstripes and has seen action at second base, third base, shortstop and in right field.

Angels Designate Jose Miguel Fernandez, Parker Bridwell

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The Angels have designated infielder Jose Fernandez and righty Parker Bridwell for assignment, per a club announcement. Those moves helped to open roster space so the team could select the contracts of lefty Jose Suarez, infielder Luis Rengifo, and righty Luis Madero.

Fernandez, 30, has had an unusual career path. His attempted transition to the majors from Cuba took years, then he finally landed with the Dodgers in 2017. Fernandez has done nothing but hit in the upper minors, with an enticing blend of power (.202 ISO at Triple-A in 2018) and plate discipline (8.6% strikeout rate with 8.4% walk rate).

Still, Fernandez was dumped by the Dodgers. Then, in a lost season for the Halos, Fernandez received only limited opportunity. To be fair, he was not able to bring the power with him to the game’s highest level. But Fernandez posted a respectable 94 wRC+. He was deployed only sparingly at second and third base in the big leagues, but spent plenty of time there at Triple-A.

It’ll also be interesting to see how much interest Bridwell draws. It was only a year back, after all, that he was coming off of a 121-inning, 3.64 ERA campaign. Of course, there were flashing red signs suggesting that was unlikely to be sustained. And Bridwell has since endured an injury-plagued campaign in which he was knocked around when on the mound.

Injury Notes: Healy, Sheriff, Rizzo, J.C. Ramirez

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Mariners first baseman Ryon Healy showed up to the team’s clubhouse today in a walking boot; he twisted his ankle in a postgame workout, says Ryan Divish of the Seattle Times. It’s been described as a “pretty bad sprain”, and Healy will have an MRI soon. The expectation seems to be that he will require a DL stint, though the severity of the injury is unclear at this time. Healy provided the heroics in last night’s win; it seems likely that Dan Vogelbach will receive everyday at-bats in his absence.

More injury items from around the league…

  • Cardinals left-hander Ryan Sheriff has been placed on the DL with a toe injury; the team has recalled right-hander John Brebbia from Triple-A Memphis in a related move. Sheriff was added to the roster with the news that Brett Cecil would be out for an extended period of time; he allowed one earned run in his 2 2/3 innings of work this season. Sheriff also managed a 3.14 ERA last season in 14 1/3 innings of work for the Cardinals.
  • Anthony Rizzo has missed a couple of games for the Cubs due to back tightness, says Carrie Muskat of MLB.com. The first baseman’s back has evidently been bothering him ever since the club’s trip to Cincinnati. Rizzo has just three hits (including one home run) in 32 plate appearances to begin the season.
  • J.C. Ramirez is officially headed to the DL with forearm issues, Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. We noted earlier that the righty had been experiencing forearm tightness; he now joins fellow Angels starters Matt Shoemaker and Andrew Heaney on the disabled list, leaving the club incredibly thin in the rotation beyond Garrett Richards, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Skaggs. Parker Bridwell and Nick Tropeano seem to be the likeliest candidates to get rotation attention, but for the time being the club has recalled relievers Felix Pena and Eduardo Paredes (righty reliever Akeel Morris was optioned to Triple-A Salt Lake).

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