Former Dodgers Reliever Joins Yankees on Minor League Deal

Phil Bickford’s Dodgers profession wasn’t particularly lengthy or distinguished, however it has at the very least catapulted the right-handed reliever right into a helpful MLB participant. That’s not insignificant.

Bickford, 28, was launched by the New York Mets on March 26 and didn’t have to attend lengthy to discover a new staff — and a reasonably good one, at that. The New York Yankees signed Bickford to a minor league contract Tuesday and assigned him to their Triple-A affiliate.

Though Bickford will start his subsequent cease in baseball with the Scranton RailRiders, his contract pays him seven figures if he will get recalled to the Bronx, in keeping with Jon Heyman of the New York Publish:

When the Dodgers claimed Bickford off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers in Might 2021, he was a veteran of precisely two main league video games. He already had burned by way of possibilities together with his first two organizations; the Toronto Blue Jays picked Bickford tenth general out of Oaks Christian Excessive College however he didn’t signal. The San Francisco Giants picked him 18th general out of the School of Southern Nevada in 2015, however he by no means appeared in a sport for them, both.

After components of six seasons within the Brewers’ group, Bickford had a 27.00 ERA on the main league degree (six runs allowed in two innings). With the Dodgers, he would go 8-6 with a 4.11 ERA in 152 video games from 2021-23.

Dodger followers would possibly bear in mind Bickford greatest for his flowing lengthy hair and dependability in low-leverage conditions. Bickford’s six losses are largely testomony to the truth that he hardly ever pitched in a detailed sport with a lead on the road.

A starter within the minors, Bickford threw a career-high 48 pitches in a sport in opposition to the Minnesota Twins on Might 15, 2023. In that sport, Bickford pitched the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth innings of a sport the Dodgers finally received 9-8. Bickford didn’t permit an earned run whereas going through 14 batters.

That may show to be the excessive level of Bickford’s profession in Los Angeles. He was traded to the Mets on Aug. 1, 2023 together with reliever Adam Kolarek for money.

Bickford was 3-2 with a 4.62 ERA in 25 appearances final season with the Mets.

Photograph Credit score: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports activities

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