The Phillies are in settlement with veteran reliever Jacob Barnes on a minor league contract, tweets Matt Gelb of the Athletic. Philadelphia additionally launched Louis Head from a non-roster pact of his personal.
Barnes joins his second group of the season. The precise-hander inked a non-roster cope with Texas over the winter. He pitched 13 occasions for his or her high affiliate in Spherical Rock, working to a 2.21 ERA throughout 20 1/3 innings. That was constructed on the again of a powerful 52.3% ground-ball proportion however belied a modest 17.5% strikeout fee and barely elevated 10.3% stroll proportion. Texas by no means gave him an MLB look and launched him final week.
Not too lengthy thereafter, Barnes finds a brand new touchdown spot seeking an eighth straight season with some MLB motion. An efficient center innings arm with the Brewers early in his profession, the 33-year-old has fallen on harder occasions of late. He’s posted a 5.50 ERA or larger in every of the previous 4 seasons. That features a 5.64 mark over 22 1/3 frames between the Tigers and Yankees final season. Barnes had extra success in Triple-A and averaged north of 95 MPH on his fastball on the MLB degree, although, so it’s little shock he’s gotten plenty of seems as a depth possibility.
Philadelphia’s bullpen entered play Tuesday ranked sixteenth within the majors with a 4.11 ERA. They’re ninth in strikeout fee (25.5%) however have the sport’s eighth-highest stroll proportion (10.3%). Barnes is out of minor league choices, so if he cracks the MLB combine at any level, the Phils must preserve him on the massive league membership or designate him for project.
As for Head, he spent the yr with Triple-A Lehigh Valley after signing a minor league deal over the winter. He was tattooed for 14 runs in 11 2/3 innings there, strolling 15 batters and permitting 4 residence runs. It’s hardly stunning the Phils by no means referred to as him up given these struggles. Head tossed 28 2/3 MLB frames between the Marlins and Orioles final season. He goes again to free company in hopes of discovering a possibility to proper the ship.
