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Blake Parker

Several Veterans On Minor League Deals Have Sunday Opt-Outs

By Steve Adams,Mark Polishuk and TC Zencka | April 30, 2022 at 7:32pm CDT

The latest collective bargaining agreement between Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association is rife with contractual intricacies, as one would expect. MLBTR has confirmed that one of the new wrinkles set forth in this latest agreement stipulates that any Article XX(B) free agent — that is, a player with at least six years of service time who finished the prior season on a big league roster or injured list — who signs a minor league contract will have three uniform opt-out dates in his contract, so long as that minor league deal is signed 10 days prior to Opening Day. Those opt-out dates are five days before the start of the regular season, May 1 and June 1.

As the MLBPA announced at the onset of the most recent offseason, there were 188 players who became Article XX(B) free agents. The majority of those players signed Major League contracts. A handful retired, and some have yet to sign a contract at all. There were still more than two dozen players who signed minor league contracts, however, which makes them subject to the new uniform opt-out dates. Several of those players — Marwin Gonzalez, Matt Moore and Wily Peralta, to name a few — have already had their contracts selected to the Major League roster. Others signed their minor league deal after March 28, meaning they’re not covered under the uniform opt-out provision.

By my count, there are a dozen players who qualified as Article XX(B) free agents, signed minor league deals on or before March 28, and remain with those organizations but not on the 40-man roster. Each of the following veterans, then, will have the opportunity to become a free agent Sunday if they’re not called up to the current organization’s big league roster:

  • Tyler Clippard, RHP, Nationals: The 37-year-old Clippard had a strong 2019 season in Cleveland and pitched brilliantly with Minnesota in 2020. His 2021 campaign with the D-backs was solid but truncated by a strained capsule in his right shoulder. He missed nearly four months to begin the year but pitched to a 3.20 ERA in 25 1/3 innings upon activation — albeit with subpar strikeout and walk rates (19.8% and 9.9%, respectively). He’s had a rough go in Triple-A Rochester so far, yielding seven runs on six hits and a whopping 11 walks in 8 1/3 innings. He’s also picked up a dozen strikeouts.
  • Austin Romine, C, Angels: Romine is 2-for-15 with a pair of singles so far in Triple-A Salt Lake. He’s never provided much with the bat, but the longtime Yankees backup is regarded as a quality defender and receiver. He spent the 2021 season with the Cubs but only logged 62 plate appearances thanks to a sprained left wrist that landed him on the 60-day injured list for a significant portion of the season. Romine hit .217/.242/.300 when healthy last year and is a lifetime .238/.277/.358 hitter in 1313 Major League plate appearances.
  • Billy Hamilton, CF, Mariners: At 31 years old, the former top prospect is what he is now: an elite defender and baserunner who’s never been able to get on base consistently enough to capitalize on his 80-grade speed. Hamilton slashed .220/.242/.378 in 135 plate appearances with the White Sox last season and is out to a 7-for-32 start with one walk and 11 strikeouts so far with the Mariners’ top affiliate. Hamilton has four seasons of 55-plus stolen bases under his belt, but he also has a career .293 OBP  that’s gotten even worse (.269) over the past three seasons (524 plaste appearances).
  • Blake Parker, RHP, Cardinals: Parker, 36, has yielded three runs in 7 1/3 Triple-A frames but is brandishing a far more impressive 11-to-1 K/BB ratio. He split the past two seasons between Philadelphia and Cleveland, pitching to a combined 3.02 ERA with a 24.4% strikeout rate against a 9.1% walk rate. Parker has had an up-and-down career since debuting with the Cubs as a 27-year-old rookie in 2012, but the cumulative results are solid. He carries a career 3.47 ERA with 34 saves and 47 holds. When Parker’s splitter is working well, he can be a very effective late-inning option.
  • Derek Holland, LHP, Red Sox: The veteran southpaw has provided innings, but not necessarily at quality since transitioning into a bullpen role in 2019. Last season he appeared in 39 games for the Tigers, tossing 49 2/3 innings with a 5.07 ERA/3.96 FIP. Holland’s time with Triple-A Worcester hasn’t been smooth, as he has a 5.79 ERA and six walks over 9 1/3 innings.
  • Steven Souza Jr., OF, Mariners: Due to an ugly knee injury and some struggles at the plate, Souza hasn’t been a truly productive big leaguer since 2017. Looking to revive his career with the Mariners, Souza has hit .200/.383/.333 over 60 PA with Triple-A Tacoma.
  • Kevin Pillar, OF, Dodgers: This season marks Pillar’s first taste of Triple-A ball since 2014, and the veteran outfielder is overmatching pitchers to the tune of a .313/.415/.627 slash line over 82 plate appearances. One would imagine this performance will earn Pillar a look in Los Angeles or perhaps another team if the Dodgers don’t select his contract. Pillar’s minor league deal guarantees him a $2.5MM salary if he receives a big league call-up, which could be a factor for a Dodgers club that may be trying to stay under the third tier ($270MM) of the luxury tax threshold.
  • Cam Bedrosian, RHP, Phillies: After signing a minor league deal with Philadelphia last July, Bedrosian posted a 4.35 ERA over 10 1/3 innings with the club despite recording almost as many walks (seven) as strikeouts (eight). The righty inked a new minors deal with the Phillies over the winter but has yet to pitch this season due to injury.
  • Shelby Miller, RHP, Yankees: The former All-Star pitched well with the Cubs’ and Pirates’ Triple-A affiliates in 2021, and he has kept up that strong Triple-A performance now working as a full-time reliever.  Over eight innings for Scranton/Wilkes-Barres, Miller has a 2.25 ERA with outstanding strikeout (31.3%) and walk (3.1%) rates. He also hasn’t allowed any homers, a notable stat for a pitcher who has had great trouble containing the long ball over the last few seasons.
  • Matt Carpenter, INF, Rangers: Carpenter got a late start to Spring Training, and upon Opening Day, he expressed a desire to take the necessary time to get himself up to speed. Through 52 plate appearances in Triple-A, Carpenter has slashed an improved .239/.327/.457 with a pair of home runs. While not standout numbers, they are an improvement over the .203/.235/.346 slash line Carpenter posted in 901 PA from 2019-21 with the Cardinals.
  • Carlos Martinez, RHP, Giants: Another former Cardinal looking for a fresh start, Martinez has yet to pitch for Triple-A Sacramento, as he is still rehabbing from the thumb surgery he underwent last July. With injuries and a nasty bout of COVID-19 factoring into matters, Martinez has only a 6.95 ERA over 102 1/3 big league innings since the start of the 2020 season.
  • Keone Kela, RHP, Diamondbacks: Kela has also been ravaged by injuries over the last two seasons, including Tommy John surgery last May. Given the usual TJ recovery timeline, Kela isn’t likely to be a factor for the D’Backs until at least midseason.

Of course, players remain free to negotiate additional out clauses into their minor league contracts. Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports, for instance, that lefty Adam Morgan has an opt-out provision in his contract with the Astros today. Morgan doesn’t have enough service time to qualify as an Article XX(B) free agent, but he’ll nevertheless have the opportunity to become a free agent Sunday if he doesn’t like his chances of eventually being added to Houston’s roster.

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Arizona Diamondbacks Boston Red Sox Houston Astros Los Angeles Angels Los Angeles Dodgers New York Yankees Philadelphia Phillies San Francisco Giants Seattle Mariners St. Louis Cardinals Texas Rangers Washington Nationals Adam Morgan Austin Romine Billy Hamilton Blake Parker Cam Bedrosian Carlos Martinez Derek Holland Keone Kela Kevin Pillar Matt Carpenter Shelby Miller Steven Souza Tyler Clippard

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Cardinals Sign Blake Parker To Minor League Deal

By Mark Polishuk | March 26, 2022 at 8:45am CDT

The Cardinals announced that right-hander Blake Parker has been signed to a minor league contract.  Parker will receive an invitation to the Cards’ Major League spring camp.

This will mark the third straight winter with a minor league deal for Parker, though he has produced good bottom-line results in each of the last two seasons.  With the Phillies in 2020, Parker had a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings during the abbreviated season, posting a 36.2% strikeout rate but also an unwieldy 13% walk rate.  Both of those latter numbers dropped with Cleveland last year, as while Parker’s control improved with a 7.6% walk rate, he only managed a 20% strikeout rate.  Still, Parker did have a 3.09 ERA over 43 2/3 frames out of the Indians’ bullpen.

With a 3.47 ERA over 345 1/3 career innings in the majors, Parker has been a solid relief option for the majority of his nine big league seasons.  He struggled through a rough year in 2019, however, as a lack of control and an inability to keep the ball in the park led to some poor results with the Twins (after beginning the season as Minnesota’s closer) and Phillies.

The 36-year-old Parker will now look to again win himself another trip to the majors via the St. Louis bullpen.  Zach McAllister and Kyle Ryan are two of the other experienced non-roster candidates vying for jobs, and the Cardinals also brought the likes of Drew VerHagen and Nick Wittgren into the fold on MLB contracts.  Aaron Brooks was another minor league signing, but the Cards have already locked him into a guaranteed by adding him to their 40-man roster.

All in all, there are plenty of arms competing for jobs on a staff that is still adjusting to the news that Jack Flaherty and Alex Reyes will begin the season on the injured list.  Reyes is out until at least late May and Flaherty’s timetable is less certain, thus creating ripple effects in both the rotation and the bullpen.

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St. Louis Cardinals Transactions Blake Parker

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Report: Matt Harvey Facing Possible Suspension Related To Drug Distribution

By Anthony Franco | February 16, 2022 at 6:07pm CDT

Free agent right-hander Matt Harvey testified yesterday during the ongoing trial of former Angels communications director Eric Kay, who is accused of distributing the drugs that led to the tragic 2019 death of Tyler Skaggs. On the stand, Harvey — who was granted immunity from criminal prosecution — admitted to providing Skaggs with Percocet pills shortly before Skaggs’ death.

An MLB official tells T.J. Quinn of ESPN that Harvey could face a suspension between 60 and 90 days for distributing controlled substances. MLB said in a statement that it will “conduct a comprehensive review of the potential violations of our drug program” after the conclusion of the trial. Kay’s defense team rested its case this afternoon. Closing arguments are scheduled to take place tomorrow morning, and it’s expected that jury deliberations will begin not long after.

The matter is further complicated by the ongoing MLB lockout. Quinn writes that the league cannot pursue discipline until after a new collective bargaining agreement is reached. The Joint Drug Agreement between the league and MLB Players Association has been suspended by the lockout, also resulting in a pause on drug testing (both for drugs of abuse and performance-enhancing substances) for MLBPA members.

Four other former members of the Angels also testified about opioid usage during Kay’s trial. C.J. Cron (now with the Rockies), Cam Bedrosian (on a minor league deal with the Phillies) and free agent Mike Morin testified yesterday, while free agent reliever Blake Parker took the stand this afternoon. All four players admitted to using drugs given to them by Kay, but only Harvey said he’d ever distributed drugs to anyone else. Quinn writes that the cases of Cron, Bedrosian, Morin and Parker are likely to be referred to a treatment board for the creation of a treatment program. Unless those players have previously been disciplined for drugs of abuse — referrals to the treatment board are not typically made public — they would not face the possibility of suspension.

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Uncategorized Blake Parker C.J. Cron Cam Bedrosian Matt Harvey Mike Morin Tyler Skaggs

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Indians Designate Jake Bauers, Promote Bobby Bradley, Select Blake Parker

By Mark Polishuk | June 5, 2021 at 10:55pm CDT

The Indians have designated first baseman Jake Bauers for assignment, the team announced.  Right-hander Eli Morgan has also been optioned to Triple-A, while first baseman Bobby Bradley has been called up to Cleveland’s roster and righty Blake Parker has had his contract selected.

Today’s news could mark the end of Bauers’ star-crossed tenure in Cleveland.  A top-100 prospect during his time in the Rays’ farm system, Bauers came to the Tribe as part of a major three-team swap involving the Rays and Mariners in December 2018.  The deal brought Carlos Santana back to Cleveland as veteran reinforcement for the Indians’ lineup, and Bauers was supposed to be a young building block, though he hasn’t delivered on that promise.

Over 160 games and 536 plate appearances with the Tribe, Bauers has hit only .218/.305/.352 with 14 home runs, delivering below replacement-level (-0.8 fWAR) production.  This playing time came during the 2019 and 2021 seasons, as Bauers was at Cleveland’s alternate training site in 2020 but never received a call-up to the big league club.  Bauers is out of options, so it’s possible another team might make a waiver claim on a player who is still only 25 and not that far removed from his prospect heyday.

With Bauers struggling so mightily, Tribe fans have spent pretty much all season wondering why Bradley wasn’t being given a shot on the MLB roster.  Bradley had a big Spring Training but has not hit overly well (aside from the power department) at Triple-A this season, with a .196/.266/.485 slash line and nine homers in 109 PA.

Bradley doesn’t bring much versatility as a first base-only player, but with the Indians in desperate need of some extra offense, the decision was finally made to part ways with Bauers and give Bradley another opportunity in the Show.  Bradley received some top-100 prospect attention himself prior to the 2016-17 seasons, and he has hit .251/.339/.503 with 156 homers in 2865 minor league plate appearances since being selected in the third round of the 2014 draft.  Bradley’s only MLB exposure came in 2019, when he posted a .600 OPS over 49 PA.

Parker signed a minor league deal with the Indians in the offseason, and with just one official appearance, Parker will make it seven different teams over parts of nine MLB seasons.  The right-hander (who turns 36 on June 19) most recently pitched for the Phillies in 2020, recording a 2.81 ERA and a huge 36.2% strikeout rate over 16 innings, albeit with an also-hefty 13% walk rate.  Parker has maintained a solid 27.7% strikeout rate over his career, though home runs have been a persistent issue for the veteran.

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Cleveland Guardians Transactions Blake Parker Bobby Bradley Eli Morgan Jake Bauers

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Indians Announce Roster Decisions

By Steve Adams | March 26, 2021 at 12:12pm CDT

The Indians have informed first baseman Jake Bauers, lefty Oliver Perez, infielder Yu Chang and outfielder Ben Gamel that they’ve made the Opening Day roster, the club announced to reporters (Twitter links via Ryan Lewis of the Akron Beacon-Journal). First base prospect Bobby Bradley, outfielder Bradley Zimmer, veteran righty Blake Parker and young lefty Kyle Nelson have all been told they will not head north with the club.

The slate of decisions means that Bauers, who is out of minor league options, will get one more opportunity to fend off Bradley. Bauers didn’t show particularly well this spring, slashing just .200/.429/.280 in 35 trips to the plate. Bradley’s .303/.314/.636 output trounced that, but we’re looking at small samples of data and it’s common this time of year for clubs to be averse to losing out-of-options players on waivers.

Bauers is still just 25 years old and is a former top prospect himself, although he didn’t play in the big leagues last year and carries a rather marginal .214/.314/.377 slash in 811 career plate appearances. Bradley, 24, got an opportunity in the big leagues last season but stumbled with a .178/.245/.356 line in 49 trips to the plate.

With the Indians optioning both Zimmer and Oscar Mercado to Triple-A this week, it appears that Gamel, who’d been in camp as a non-roster invitee, will be one of their primary options in center field. He could split time with Amed Rosario there, although Cleveland’s experiments with him in the outfield thus far in Spring Training have been somewhat adventurous. Gamel has more experience there and seems likely to see plenty of opportunity despite a tepid .212/.316/.364 showing in 38 spring plate appearances.

Chang’s case for a roster spot improved earlier in camp when veteran Mike Freeman was traded over to the Reds. The 25-year-old Chang hasn’t hit much in parts of two seasons with the Indians in 2019-20, but he’s also received just 97 plate appearances in the Majors. Perez, meanwhile, has spent the past three seasons in Cleveland’s bullpen and thrown quite well, so it comes as little surprise that they’ll bring him back for a fourth year. Parker came to camp with a decent chance to grab a spot but has been clobbered for a dozen runs in 6 1/3 innings. His track record in the big leagues is obviously quite a bit better than that disastrous showing, but it’s not hard to see why Cleveland went in another direction after that audition.

Though the team has announced its decisions, the moves themselves aren’t yet formal. Both Perez and Gamel were in camp on non-roster deals, as was veteran righty Bryan Shaw, who made the club earlier in the week. All three will need to be added to the 40-man roster between now and Opening Day, so the Indians clearly have some roster tweaking on the horizon.

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Cleveland Guardians Ben Gamel Blake Parker Bobby Bradley Bradley Zimmer Jake Bauers Kyle Nelson Oliver Perez Yu Chang

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Indians To Sign Blake Parker

By Connor Byrne | February 15, 2021 at 7:15pm CDT

Free-agent reliever Blake Parker is signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Indians, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reports. Parker could earn around $2.5MM if he hits the incentives on the contract.

Based on the production the 35-year-old right-hander has put up throughout his career, he seems like a solid bet to earn a season-opening spot in Cleveland’s bullpen. Dating back to his 2012 debut, Parker has pitched for six major league teams (Cubs, Yankees, Mariners, Angels, Twins and Phillies), with which he has combined for a 3.52 ERA/3.25 SIERA across 301 2/3 innings. While Parker doesn’t throw especially hard – his fastball has typically clocked in around 92 mph – he has managed above-average strikeout and walk percentages of 27.7 and 7.9, respectively.

Parker only threw 16 innings with the Phillies last year, but he made them count, as he registered an impressive 2.81 ERA/3.39 SIERA. He did issue an alarming amount of walks (13.0 percent), but Parker somewhat offset his control issues with a lofty strikeout percentage (36.2).

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Cleveland Guardians Transactions Blake Parker

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FA Pitching Notes: Robertson, Kintzler, Marlins, Shoemaker, Parker

By Connor Byrne | February 10, 2021 at 6:34pm CDT

Free-agent reliever David Robertson will hold his previously reported showcase on Thursday, Jon Heyman of MLB Network tweets. There will be a large group of teams in attendance, Heyman suggests, owing to a combination of the 35-year-old Robertson’s past accomplishments and what should be a low-risk contract. Robertson enjoyed great success as a Yankee and White Sox from 2008-18, establishing himself as an oft-dominant workhorse along the way, but the right-hander fell off as a Phillie after that. He threw 6 2/3 innings in an injury-shortened 2019 and didn’t pitch at all last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

  • Brandon Kintzler turned down a $2MM guarantee from the Marlins to join the Phillies on a non-guaranteed pact Wednesday, Barry Jackson of the Miami relays. The righty is betting on himself that he’ll land a roster spot in Philadelphia and earn a $3MM salary with up to $1MM in incentives. Kintzler was the closer last year in Miami, where he saved 12 of 14 games and posted a terrific 2.22 ERA with a similarly impressive 57.3 percent groundball rate. The veteran’s ability to keep the ball on the ground helped him overcome a K-BB percentage of 3.0 – the sixth-lowest mark among qualified relievers. The Marlins had an opportunity to keep him after last season, but they instead declined his $4MM option in favor of a $225K buyout.
  • Righty starter Matt Shoemaker is “weighing multiple offers” and may sign somewhere this week, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet reports. Shoemaker, 34, was a Blue Jay from 2019-20, but injuries held him back in both seasons. He threw 28 2/3 innings in ’19 because of a torn ACL and finished last year with another 28 2/3 while battling shoulder inflammation. A lofty 29.6 percent home run-to-fly ball rate led to a 4.71 ERA for Shoemaker in 2020, but his 4.35 SIERA, career-high 92.1 mph fastball velocity, and above-average walk and groundball percentages (7.6 and 48.1) were more encouraging.
  • Reliever Blake Parker is deciding among three teams’ offers (one of which is a major league deal) and could make his choice soon, per Heyman. The 35-year-old righty turned in a fine 2020 as a Phillie with a 2.81 ERA/3.39 SIERA and an exorbitant strikeout rate (36.0 percent) over 16 innings, though he also walked 13.0 percent of the batters he faced.
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Miami Marlins Notes Blake Parker Brandon Kintzler David Robertson Matt Shoemaker

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Phillies Decline David Phelps’ Option

By Anthony Franco | October 30, 2020 at 2:14pm CDT

The Phillies announced they’ve declined their $4.5MM club option on right-hander David Phelps. He’ll receive a $250K buyout and hit free agency. The Phillies also declined their $7MM option on fellow reliever Héctor Neris, although he remains on the roster as an arbitration-eligible player. Philadelphia also confirmed the previously-reported declination of David Robertson’s club option.

Additionally, utilityman Phil Gosselin, right-handers Heath Hembree and Blake Parker and southpaw Adam Morgan have all cleared outright waivers and elected free agency. Right-hander Johan Quezada, meanwhile, was claimed off waivers from the Marlins.

Phelps came over from the Brewers in a midseason swap for three low-level prospects. The hope was that he’d help salvage a bullpen that had been the club’s weak point. Unfortunately, he was tattooed for eleven runs in 7.2 innings down the stretch. Phelps’ overall strikeout and walk numbers were stellar, but massive home run problems led to a 6.53 ERA.

Neris is projected for a salary between $4.8MM and $6.4MM in arbitration if tendered. That made declining the option an easy call, and it’s possible Neris ultimately winds up non-tendered.

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Miami Marlins Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Adam Morgan Blake Parker David Phelps David Robertson Heath Hembree Hector Neris Johan Quezada Phil Gosselin

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Phillies Designate Nick Williams, Trevor Kelley For Assignment; Nick Pivetta Optioned

By Steve Adams | August 11, 2020 at 1:51pm CDT

The Phillies announced a series of roster moves Tuesday, selecting the contracts of right-handers Connor Brogdon and Blake Parker. In corresponding 40-man moves, Philadelphia designated outfielder/former top prospect Nick Williams and right-hander Trevor Kelley for assignment. Right-hander Nick Pivetta was also optioned to Philadelphia’s alternate training site.

Williams, 26, was considered one of the game’s 100 best prospects for several years but has yet to put things together in the Majors. The 2012 second-rounder went from Texas to Philadelphia as one of the centerpieces in the Cole Hamels blockbuster, but the club never seemed completely sold on his abilities. Williams fared reasonably well at the plate in 2017-18, hitting a combined .269/.330/.446 (105 wRC+ and OPS+), but defensive shortcomings overshadowed that respectable output at the plate.

Once the Phillies signed both Bryce Harper and Andrew McCutchen in the same offseason, the writing has appeared to be on the wall for Williams. He stuck with the club through the 2019 season by virtue of the fact that he had a pair of minor league options remaining, but playing time was sparse — even after Odubel Herrera was suspended and McCutchen tore his ACL. Williams in just 67 games and took only 112 plate appearances, batting a woeful .151/.196/.245 in that extremely limited role. A club looking for a low-cost outfield flier could do worse than speculating on Williams, but it’s also perhaps telling that he’s been a largely superfluous piece in Philadelphia for more than a year and has yet to be traded.

Kelley, 26, appeared in four games with the Phils this season but was tagged for four runs on eight hits and a walk in 3 1/3 frames. He’s appeared in the Majors in each of the past two seasons — with the Red Sox in 2019 — but struggled in a small sample of games. The former 36th-round pick has a sharp minor league track record in terms of ERA, but he’s never missed a huge number of bats or demonstrated particularly strong control. The Phils plucked him off waivers when the Red Sox designated him back in December.

Turning to Pivetta, the 27-year-old is in his final option year and could well be running out of chances with the Phils. He’s long been praised for his raw abilities, but Pivetta has yet to demonstrate that he can efficiently command what appears to be a solid arsenal of pitches. He’s been prone not only to walks, hit batsmen and wild pitches but also to the long ball.

At his best, Pivetta sits nearly 95 mph with his fastball, drops a curve with elite spin, generates swinging strikes at a strong 12 percent clip and averages nearly 11 punchouts per nine frames. However, those appealing traits are still accompanied by inconsistency and results that fall shy of what one might otherwise expect from a pitcher with his stuff. Philadelphia has tried him both as a starter and reliever, and he’s offered glimpses of his potential at numerous points without settling in as a consistent contributor.

As for today’s two new additions, Parker is a well-known reliever who spent half the 2019 season with the Phils. The former Angels and Twins closer has a mid-90s heater and a big splitter that can function as an out pitch when he’s at his best. Consistency has been an issue for him as well, but the 35-year-old has a career 3.56 ERA, 10.1 K/9 and 2.8 BB/9 in 285 2/3 frames.

The 25-year-old Brogdon will make his MLB debut the first time he takes the hill. The Phillies’ 10th-round pick back in 2017, Brogdon skyrocketed across three levels last year, ultimately putting together a combined 2.61 ERA with 106-to-24 K/BB ratio (12.6 K/9, 2.8 BB/9) in 76 innings of relief.

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Newsstand Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Blake Parker Nick Pivetta Nick Williams Trevor Kelley

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Phillies Re-Sign Blake Parker

By Steve Adams | February 5, 2020 at 2:42pm CDT

The Phillies have re-signed right-hander Blake Parker to a minor league contract with an invitation to Major League Spring Training, per a team announcement. The Phillies also confirmed their previously reported minor league agreements with veteran infielder Logan Forsythe and right-hander Anthony Swarzak.

Parker, 34, opened the 2019 season as the Twins’ closer but lost both his handle on that role and his roster spot in Minnesota after showing some troubles with his control — particularly when it came to his splitter. Parker notched a 4.21 ERA and 10 saves in 36 1/3 innings as a Twin but also turned in a lackluster 34-to-16 K/BB rate in that time. Beyond walking too many hitters, Parker also plunked a pair of batters and snapped off four wild pitches before being cut loose.

In some regards, things worsened in Philadelphia. Parker’s bottom-line run prevention numbers took a turn for the worse (5.04 ERA in 25 innings), and he proved to be more homer-prone with his second club of the year. On the other hand, Parker rediscovered the handle on his split and registered an impressive 31-to-6 K/BB ratio. His 90.8 mph average heater was down considerably from the 92.4 mph he averaged in Minnesota, but Parker did seem to have better control of his arsenal.

There’s little risk for the Phillies in taking another look at Parker this spring. He is, after all, a seven-year MLB veteran who has enjoyed his share of late-inning success — particularly in 2016-17 with the Angels. In all, Parker has 285 2/3 innings in the Majors, during which time he’s logged a 3.56 ERA and recorded 34 saves while averaging 10.1 K/9 against 2.8 BB/9. He becomes the latest in a dizzying slate of veterans to land non-roster invitations to Phillies Spring Training; also in camp will be Anthony Swarzak, Drew Storen, Francisco Liriano, Bud Norris, Neil Walker, Logan Forsythe, Josh Harrison, Ronald Torreyes and Phil Gosselin.

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Philadelphia Phillies Transactions Blake Parker

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    Astros Designate J.J. Matijevic, Bligh Madris For Assignment

    A’s Select Carlos Perez

    Royals Select Jackie Bradley Jr., Matt Duffy, Franmil Reyes

    Marlins Select Yuli Gurriel; Jose Iglesias To Remain In Organization

    Guardians Select Cam Gallagher, Meibrys Viloria; Designate Jason Bilous, Place Cody Morris On 60-Day IL

    Tigers Designate Edwin Uceta For Assignment

    Boone: Yankees Working On “Potential Deal” To Add Pitcher

    Reds Designate Nick Solak For Assignment

    Offseason In Review Chat Transcript: Colorado Rockies

    Braves Select Four Players, Place Three Others On 60-Day IL

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