The Rays have released pitcher Erik Bedard, tweets Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. The 35-year-old hurler is expected to seek an MLB opportunity, though Tampa is still interested in bringing him back at the Triple-A level if he does not find a big league roster spot.
Throwing for the Astros last year, Bedard managed a 4.59 ERA in 151 innings over 26 starts and six relief appearances. He struck out batters at a clip of 8.2 K/9 while surrendering 4.5 BB/9 and posting a 36.4% ground ball rate. The veteran southpaw should hold some appeal for clubs looking for an arm to eat innings at the back of a rotation or, possibly, in the bullpen.
mikey fwedwick
Jays, get on this
danistheguy
Man that’s sad.
Rally Weimaraner
No surprise here, Bedard looked bad this spring and his 2012-2013 numbers don’t inspire much confidence.
John Kreese
I’m sure he won’t be without a job for long. Sadly he’s an upgrade for a lot of teams out there.
Mike McLellan
Sadly, this has Blue Jays written all over it.
User 4245925809
Any other Mariner fans have that sinking feeling he’ll soon be on the mound soon as their #5 SP?
raffish
Is he worse than Wolf?
User 4245925809
Flip a coin..
H0RATI0SANZSERIF
Not necessarily a sinking feeling. I’d take him in a heartbeat over Noesi and Beavan.
mstrchef13
Really? Did the author just say Bedard could be an innings eater? That’s one of the most laughable statements I’ve heard in quite a while.
bobbleheadguru
1. 151 innings is not bad
2. Still over 8 K/9
3. His ERA was better than Sabathia.
JamieMoyer
I think the point was that pitchers as injury-prone as Bedard should not be called innings eaters.
connfyoozed .
That, and the fact that he just about never goes 7 innings in a start… and often not even 6.
User 4245925809
Injury eater? DL list eater? Maybe have a contest here for the exact date he lands on the DL list for the 1st time perhaps?
JamieMoyer
Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say that innings eat him (and his arm).
Jason Calvert
Just go away Bedard
AJ Ojeda
He hasn’t logged over 160 innings since 2007, hasn’t cracked more than 28 starts since 2007, hasn’t won more than 10 games since…2007!
It baffles me how a guy like this gets a job and keeps being considered a “viable” option. He’s injury prone, has proven he can’t keep an ERA under 4.00 and he’s demanding a major league deal? The last 6 years he hasn’t even totaled 30 wins (26 to be exact). He should just go away or accept a AAA assignment, he’s nothing special and is nothing to clamor about.
Tigers72
You still think wins are a good way to judge a pitcher?
AJ Ojeda
And you still think because he strikes outs a lot of hitters is a good way to judge him as a viable or decent option?
Harold
I didn’t get the point of having him in camp. Way to many younger better arms in the organization. Was no way this guy was making the opening day roster short of a rash of pitching injuries.
Aaron Johnson
I think the O’s should sign him and trade him to the Mariners for Adam Jones, Chris Tillman, and George Sherill.