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Phil Bickford

Dodgers Place Jimmy Nelson On 10-Day Injured List, Recall Phil Bickford

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The Dodgers have placed Jimmy Nelson on the injured list with right forearm inflammation, per the team. Phil Bickford has been recalled to take his roster spot. Bickford was only recently claimed off waivers from the Brewers.

A starter for most of his career, Nelson has transitioned to a new role this season, and a valuable one at that. He has tossed 18 2/3 inning in 16 appearances with a 2.41 ERA/1.86 FIP for the Dodgers. Though he has induced just a 37.1 percent groundball rate and walked more batters than they’d like with a 14.3 percent walk rate, Nelson has posted a career-best 39 percent strikeout rate.

Bickford was twice made a first round pick, first coming out of high school in 2013 and then again as the 18th overall pick of the Giants in 2015. The Brewers acquired him in 2016 along with Andrew Susac for lefty Will Smith. He made just one appearance with the Brewers in 2020 and one again in 2021. In his last full season of work, Bickford posted a 2.48 ERA across 32 2/3 innings during his second stint in High-A.

Dodgers Claim Phil Bickford, Designate Mike Kickham

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The Dodgers have claimed right-hander Phil Bickford off waivers from the Brewers.  Both teams have announced the move, with the Dodgers designating left-hander Mike Kickham for assignment to create roster space.

Bickford pitched just one inning for the Brewers in 2021, to go along with his lone inning for the team last season.  Twice a first-round draft pick (for the Blue Jays in 2013 and, after opting to attend college, with the Giants in 2015), Bickford’s career has been stalled by injuries and a 50-game suspension for a drug of abuse in 2017.

The righty is still only 25 years old, however, and has yet to pitch in either Double-A or Triple-A ball.  It could be that some time in a proper minor league game environment will help hone Bickford’s potential as a relief pitcher, since he recorded a whopping 53 strikeouts in 32 2/3 bullpen innings (with a 2.48 ERA) for Milwaukee’s high-A affiliate in 2019.

Kickham signed a minor league deal with the Dodgers in the offseason and had his contract selected by the team yesterday.  He tossed two innings of mop-up work in the Dodgers’ 16-4 victory over the Brewers, though Kickham allowed three earned runs.  The 32-year-old has now appeared in four Major League seasons, though with a sizeable gap in between — Kickham pitched for the Giants in 2013-14 and then worked in the minors before resurfacing for 14 innings with the Red Sox in 2020.

Brewers Designate Phil Bickford For Assignment

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The Brewers have designated right-hander Phil Bickford for assignment, per a club announcement. His spot on the 40-man roster will go to right-hander Zack Godley, whose contract has been selected from the team’s alternate training site. Manager Craig Counsell indicated last night that Godley’s contract would be selected, and outfielder Corey Ray would be optioned, but the corresponding 40-man move was only revealed this morning.

Bickford, 25, was the No. 10 overall pick by the Blue Jays back in 2013. He opted to attend college rather than sign, but he was again a first-rounder once eligible, going to the Giants with the No. 18 overall selection. San Francisco traded Bickford and catching prospect to Milwaukee in exchange for lefty Will Smith back in 2016, but Bickford has yet to establish himself as a viable big league arm. He’s tossed just two innings in the Majors — one in 2020 and one in 2021 — allowing a total of six runs.

Bickford’s path to the big leagues hasn’t exactly been a straightforward one. He served a 50-game suspension after a second positive test for a drug of abuse in 2017. Upon returning, he was struck in the hand by a batted ball, fracturing both the pinkie and ring finger in his pitching hand, which required surgery to repair. Because of that suspension and surgery, Bickford totaled just 51 2/3 innings from 2017-18.

A return to the mound in a bullpen role in 2019 proved quite fruitful, when Bickford notched a 2.48 ERA and a whopping 41.1 percent strikeout rate in Class-A Advanced, but the lack of minor league games in 2020 and so far in 2021 hasn’t done any favors for his development. All in all, he sports a 2.98 ERA in 226 2/3 frames, but Bickford will also turn 26 this summer and hasn’t pitched above High-A with the exception of those two MLB innings.

The Brewers will have a week to trade Bickford or attempt to pass him through outright waivers. Given his former pedigree, a solid minor league track record and a pair of minor league options remaining, it’s possible that another club will look at him as an intriguing project.

Brewers Place Brett Anderson, Josh Lindblom On 10-Day IL

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The Brewers announced that left-hander Brett Anderson (strained right hamstring) and right-hander Josh Lindblom (right knee effusion) have been on the 10-day injured list.  Right-hander Phil Bickford and outfielder Corey Ray were called up from the alternate training site to fill the spots on the active roster, and Ray is now in line to make his Major League debut.

Anderson threw only 11 pitches Friday before being removed from his start against the Cubs, resulting in an unexpected bullpen game for Milwaukee and a 15-2 loss.  Lindblom was the next pitcher in to replace Anderson, and the two hurlers combined to allow 11 earned runs over four innings of work.

With Anderson out of action, the Brewers could lean on their bullpen to cover his next start or two, or turn to one of multiple starters working at the team’s alternate site.  Jordan Zimmermann, Zack Godley, and Eric Lauer are all candidates, with Patrick Weigel perhaps the top option among the more inexperienced candidates (Weigel has only two-thirds of an inning as a big leaguer).

Ray was the fifth overall pick of the 2016 draft, and he is getting his first taste of the majors at age 26.  As a pro, Ray has shown only flashes of the potential he showed at the University of Louisville, battling injuries and hitting .235/.311/.406 over 1665 plate appearances in the Milwaukee farm system.  MLB Pipeline still ranks Ray 24th among all Brewers prospects, noting the plus speed and plus glovework and throwing arm that make him a viable center fielder, but Ray’s hitting ability is has been held back by a lot of strikeouts.  Given that the Brewers are dealing with several outfield injuries, Ray should get a pretty immediate opportunity for playing time.

Brewers Release Justin Grimm, Select Phil Bickford

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The Brewers have released reliever Justin Grimm, Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel tweets. The club also announced that it has selected right-hander Phil Bickford, placed infielder Jedd Gyorko on the bereavement list, optioned righty Trey Supak and recalled outfielder Tyrone Taylor.

Milwaukee was the fifth major league team for Grimm, who has logged a 5.14 ERA/4.20 FIP with 9.16 K/9 and 3.94 BB/9 across a lifetime 360 2/3 innings. He only racked up 4 2/3 frames as a member of the Brewers, with whom he surrendered nine earned runs on nine hits and four walks (six strikeouts). The Brewers designated Grimm for assignment Aug. 28.

Bickford, 25, entered the pros as the 18th overall pick of the Giants in 2018 and eventually became a top 50 prospect, though he hasn’t pitched above the Single-A level yet. But Bickford has been rather effective in the minors, including when he posted a 2.48 ERA/2.03 FIP with 14.6 K/9 and 3.03 BB/9 over 32 2/3 frames last season.

Brewers Announce 12 Additions To Player Pool

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The Brewers announced Thursday that they’ve added a dozen minor leaguers to their 60-man player pool. In addition to the previously reported addition of righty Dylan File, Milwaukee has added the following players:

Many of the prospects added today are viewed a key future pieces for the Brewers but shouldn’t be expected to contribute at the MLB level this coming season. Turang, the team’s top pick from 2018, is considered the organization’s best prospect but hasn’t above Class-A Advanced yet. Lutz, Small, Feliciano, Dillard, Bickford and Kelly have all yet to log any notable time even at the Double-A level.

The others in the bunch, though, could potentially reach the Majors for the first time in 2020. File’s quick rise through the system was already touched upon here. Perdomo, who has a strong minor league track record, tested positive for COVID-19 recently but could be a lefty option for the ’pen assuming a full recovery. Andrews, a two-way star in college who also logged some time in center field this past season, reached Double-A in 2019 and fared well (2.59 ERA, 3.97 FIP, 9.5 K/9, 4.3 BB/9 in 31 1 /3 frames).

Supak, 24, breezed through 122 2/3 innings of Double-A ball in 2019, pitching to a 2.20 ERA and 3.14 FIP with 6.7 K/9, 1.7 BB/9, 0.44 HR/9 and a 44.8 percent ground-ball rate before struggling in a much briefer run in Triple-A (30 innings). He could be a multi-inning relief piece or make some starts should the need arise. Supak’s 152 2/3 total innings last year were the 13th-most of any pitcher in minor league baseball.

As for Ray, the Brewers have had high hopes for him since selecting him with the No. 5 pick back in 2016. He’s coming off a brutal 2019 season but posted a 124 wRC+ in Double-A a season prior, hitting .239/.323/.477. Strikeouts are a significant issue for Ray, who has whiffed in 29.7 percent of his professional plate appearances (including an alarming 36.6 percent clip in 2019). But Ray also belted 27 homers in a pitcher-friendly Double-A setting in 2018 — a season that also saw him swipe 37 bases. The contact issues probably aren’t going to improve dramatically, but there’s still some intrigue surrounding someone with that blend of power and speed — particularly when they can play any of the three outfield slots.

With today’s moves now set, the Brewers have filled 58 of the 60 possible slots in their 2020 player pool. Team can still make additions once all 60 spots are filled, but doing so requires removing a current player via a transaction (e.g. trade, release, outright waivers).

Phil Bickford Receives 50-Game Suspension For Drug Of Abuse

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Brewers righty Phil Bickford has been hit with a 50-game suspension after testing positive for a drug of abuse for the second time, as Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times tweets. Bickford reportedly tested positive for marijuana before being drafted in 2015. Players on 40-man rosters are not at risk of suspension for marijuana use, but Bickford is not on Milwaukee’s big-league roster.

Bickford, 21, has long been seen as a high-quality pitching prospect. He has maintained double-digit strikeout-per-nine tallies throughout his minor league career since heading to the Giants with the 18th overall selection. (Bickford was also previously taken tenth overall by the Blue Jays in 2013, but did not sign at the time.)

The suspension won’t have an impact on Milwaukee’s immediate plans, as Bickford has yet to reach the upper minors. But it will have at least some impact on his developmental timeline, which certainly rates as a disappointment for the organization. The Brewers added Bickford from the Giants along with catcher Andrew Susac in the trade that sent lefty Will Smith to San Francisco at the trade deadline.

Bickford delivers a big four-seam fastball, diving two-seamer, promising slider, and developing change, MLB.com’s prospect team explained in ranking him the fifth-best talent on the Brewers farm. There are still some who think he’ll end up in a major league pen, but regardless the expectation remains that he’ll make an impact. Last year, working at the Class A and High-A level, Bickford threw 120 innings of 2.92 ERA ball with 10.1 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9.

Giants Acquire Will Smith

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The Giants acquired left-handed reliever Will Smith from the Brewers, tweets Yahoo’s Jeff Passan.  The Brewers will receive minor league pitcher Phil Bickford and catcher Andrew Susac, tweets Jon Heyman of FanRag Sports.  The trade is now official, according to the Brewers.

May 21, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers relief pitcher Will Smith (13) shown just before being ejected from the game against the Atlanta Braves during the seventh inning at Turner Field. The Braves defeated the Brewers 10-1. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Smith, 27, has a 3.68 ERA, 9.0 K/9, 3.7 BB/9, 1.23 HR/9, and a 33.3% groundball rate in 22 innings for the Brewers this year.  He dealt with a torn LCL in his knee in March, making his season debut on June 2nd after rehabbing the injury. Notably, the southpaw is exhibiting nearly a two-tick decline in his average fastball as against his prior numbers, and that remains a concern. The knee is an obvious question mark in that regard, though certainly it’s possible that Smith will just need to continue building back full body strength after the injury.

Health is always an important factor, but never more than when making an investment in a player that goes into the future. While San Francisco won’t be promising any future salary to Smith, they were buying into his control rights and paid to do so. He is under team control through 2019 as an arbitration eligible player. That contract status also conveys some real upside, especially if Smith can get back to his former trajectory. He was particularly tough in 2015, with a 2.70 ERA and 12.9 K/9.

The first-place Giants have received a middling 3.76 ERA from their relievers, and paid a trade deadline premium to acquire the controllable Smith. Drafted in the seventh round by the Angels in 2008, Smith was dealt to the Royals in the 2010 Alberto Callaspo trade.  Later, after the 2013 campaign, the Brewers acquired him for Nori Aoki.

Now, Milwaukee has cashed in on the southpaw — in addition to moving late-inning righty Jeremy Jeffress in a separate trade. The haul seems to be rather promising, and swaps out the valuable-but-risky seasons remaining on Smith’s control rights for many more years of control on two solid young assets.

Bickford, 21, was drafted 18th overall by the Giants last year and is currently working at High-A.  In their midseason prospect rankings, Baseball America had Bickford 50th overall, while MLB.com ranked him 65th.  BA says Bickford’s fastball is known for its movement, and he throws a plus slider.  The jury is out on whether he’ll wind up a reliever.  Bickford had been drafted tenth overall by the Blue Jays in 2013, but did not sign.

Susac, 26, could take over as the Brewers’ starting catcher if Jonathan Lucroy is traded today.  Since being drafted in the second round in 2011, Susac has been blocked by Buster Posey.  He did get some Major League experience in 2014 and ’15, but has spent all of this year at Triple-A.  He’s hitting .273/.343/.455 in 239 plate appearances at that level.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Phil Bickford To Pitch For Southern Nevada

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Former Blue Jays top draft pick Phil Bickford will pitch for the College of Southern Nevada this season, MLB.com’s Jim Callis reports. The move to a two-year college will officially make Bickford eligible for next year’s draft. CSN is already known in baseball circles for being the school attended by 2010 top overall pick Bryce Harper.

The Jays took Bickford tenth overall out of high school in 2013, but the two sides couldn’t agree to a deal, and Bickford headed to Cal State Fullerton. His stock improved this summer after showing great stuff in the Cape Cod League, and he currently appears likely to go even higher than tenth overall next time he’s draft eligible — Callis notes that Bickford could be a candidate to go first overall. Had Bickford gone back to Cal State Fullerton, he would not have been eligible for the draft until 2016.

“He had the best arm in the league,” says John Schiffner, an opposing Cape Cod manager. “He threw one of our guys a slider in a big situation, and three kids’ knees buckled in our dugout. And that’s not even his best pitch, because we saw 97 mph.”

Phil Bickford Leaving Cal State Fullerton, Eyeing 2015 Draft

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8:51pm: In a full article, Rogers provides a bit more detail of the situation, noting that Bickford also dominated the Cape Cod League this summer and was named Perfect Game Summer Player of the Year. Rogers notes that he showed a much-improved changeup and slider over the summer and would rather test the waters of the MLB draft now than wait two more years by remaining at Cal State Fullerton.

7:23pm: Aaron Fitt of Baseball America hears that junior college is more likely for Bickford (Twitter link). Either way, this appears to be a clear indicator that Bickford is focused on entering next year’s draft and beginning his pro career.

7:00pm: Former first-round pick Phil Bickford, who elected not to sign with the Blue Jays as the No. 10 overall pick in the 2013 draft, will not return to Cal State Fullerton for his sophomore season and is strongly considering pitching in independent ball, according to Kendall Rogers of PerfectGameUSA.com (Twitter links). Such a move would allow Bickford to be eligible for the 2015 draft. Bickford could consider transferring to a junior college as well, which would also allow him to file for next year’s draft.

Now 19 years old (he will turn 20 next July), Bickford did little to harm his draft stock in what looks to be his lone year with the Titans. He fired 76 innings and turned in a 2.13 ERA with a 74-to-13 K/BB ratio. Bickford shot up draft boards heading into the 2013 draft. ESPN’s Keith Law noted at the time of the draft that he sat 90-93 mph with his fastball and touched 96 with a great pitcher’s frame, but his lack of a breaking ball was a red flag.

Bickford reportedly turned down more than $2MM from the Blue Jays, who received the No. 11 pick in this year’s draft as compensation for failing to sign him. Toronto selected Tommy John inflicted right-hander Jeff Hoffman and Kennesaw State catcher Max Pentecost with the No. 9 and 11 picks in this year’s first round.

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