The Pirates have released left-hander Jesse Biddle, who was designated for assignment upon the team’s signing of third baseman David Freese. The MLB.com Transaction page first noted Biddle’s release, though Tim Williams of PiratesProspects.com wrote this morning that he spoke to GM Neal Huntington, who said he hopes to re-sign Biddle to a minor league deal despite vacating his 40-man spot.
Pittsburgh initially acquired Biddle from the Phillies in exchange for right-hander Yoervis Medina. Biddle, a former first-round pick and top 100 prospect will miss the entire 2016 campaign due to Tommy John surgery. His walk rate increased notably upon reaching the Double-A level, though, and while he was considerably younger than his average competition in that first exposure in 2013, his overall numbers took a dive when he repeated the level in 2014. Biddle’s most recent season saw him pitch to a combined 4.95 ERA between his third Double-A stint and his first work at the Triple-A level, and news of his Tommy John surgery broke shortly after the 2015 season ended. Though he’s hit some adversity in recent seasons, Biddle won’t turn 25 until next October, so youth remains on his side as he seeks to get back on a professional mound and eventually crack a big league roster.
Would be a nice pick up for the Yankees, Good depth until he returns back from Tj.
Is it OK if I post here that I’d like to see him sign with the Sox? I don’t want to get out of line but a former top LHP prospect who’s stock is down due to TJS is pretty appealing to a lot of teams. My Red Six could use the pitching depth when he comes back healthy. Biddle could be a middle of the rotation guy if he makes a full recovery which is likely from a surgery that has been perfected like TJS. I always liked Biddle’s stuff and deception. Even if we don’t sign him I salute you Jesse, make a full recovery and reach for your dreams!
Why do you continue to comment about the Red Sox
Dude… Really? This is getting a tad out of hand. We’d all appreciate it if you took some time off from commenting. Also why do you feel the need to ask us? Just comment if you want. The backlashing is all apart of the Internet experience.
Oh come on, I barely even mentioned h Red Sox, 95% of my post was Biddle analysis. Why aren’t you guys giving the first poster a hard time, he mentioned the Yankees should sign him. Are you guys prejudice against Red Sox Nation? Biddle to the Sox makes a ton of sense if he chooses not to resign with the Pirates.
Biddle to any team makes sense if they don’t have to put him on the 40 man until the offseason… Not just the red sox. A former top prospect who can come without a 40 man spot… Makes sense for every team.
If you keep doing it, despite being warned by Steve Adams yesterday, you are going to get banned. Seen it happen to plenty of people.
You sound like a whiny tattletale.
Everyone is tired of it. Read the last 20 threads or so.
He figures to go on the 60 Man until November anyway for any team. It’s a bit odd that Pittsburgh released him, but I understand why.
It would make sense for any of 20 teams to sign him if the pro scouting department buys on his talent.
Pirates have already released and resigned two pitchers recovering from TJ who are out for the year rehabbing (Jason Creasy and Angel Sanchez are the others I think) that they’ve given raises to as goodwill to get them to resign and stay in the organization longer once they’re healthy. I’d expect Biddle will resign with the Bucs in the next couple days too.
Middle of the rotation? That’s just laughing gas
Is it possible we see a team pick him up and stash him?
I believe that is what the Pirates are doing. They will resign him to a minor league deal if he agrees for this year and at least a year or two more. They did the same thing with Casey Sadler, another TJ case this off season.
Pretty much any team could and should take a chance on him. Good stuff and was once a great prospect, it’s a shame he couldn’t put it together in Philly. But Pittsburgh was a good landing spot, if he could work with the wizard known as Ray Searage… Could be a huge turnaround for his career.
Fully expect the Phillies to pick him back up. I believe they had every intention of retaining him if he cleared DFA waivers per previous reports.
I do think the Phillies would like to have him back but for his sake I think he would have more success somewhere else where he can escape the hometown pressure
Actually, the Phillies can not retain him. They can resign him. If he clears waivers, he can go anywhere. Pirates, if they give him a decent offer, may be his best bet to be able to work with Searage & company to work on his control. Will all depend on where he wants to go and the money involved as well. He may take less to go to destination A if that is where he wants to be. Will be interesting to see. where he ends up.
Z-A was suggesting that the Phillies had hoped to retain him when they designated him for assignment earlier in the winter, but Pittsburgh claimed him so they worked out a trade. If he clears waivers this time—which he likely will, since claiming would require placement on the 40-man roster—then he hopes the Phillies will sign him to a minor league deal.
Miss understood if that was the case about the January DFA for Biddle. Again, who knows if he wants to go back to Philly. If they really wanted him, they could have claimed him when the Pirates DFA’d him prior to releasing him as could have any club. WIll depend now where Biddle wants to end up .Thinking the Pirates already discussed this with him as they could have put him on the 60day DL if they really wanted to keep him. I just do not know how the DL works and what the advantages or disadvantages are in placing a plaer on the 60 day DL Not at all well versed on the rules concerning the 60DL.
60 Day is a legit option once Spring Training opens, if a 40 Man spot is needed.. If Biddle stays, he really likes the Pirates. Or nobody offered him a 40 Man spot with a six-month stay on the 60.
If the Phillies—or any team—claims Biddle, they’ll have to put him on the 40 man roster. It’s not as simple as then placing him on the 60-day DL to get him off the 40 man roster, as to put him on the DL would require him to be their major league roster, and therefore accrue major league service time.
Theoretically a team could pick him up, add him to the 40 man roster to protect him, and then place him on the 60 day DL to open up another roster spot, correct?
Correct, though he’d get Major League service time and require an MLB salary for that season.
Thanks for the info. I figured that there would be a disadvantage to putting a guy like this on the 60Day. What happens if they had already assigned him to the minors if he had options left and then put him on the 60 day? Does he have to be on the ML roster and put on the 60 day before they can take him off of the 40 man?
He was already on the Phillies 40 man roster—otherwise he’d have been exposed to the rule 5 draft. The Phillies DFA’d him; the Pirates claimed him meaning he had to have the same place on the 40 man roster as he had before. Had no one claimed him he would have been a minor league free agent, able to be signed to a minor league deal and kept off the 40 man roster. If no one claims him he will be free to sign with any team, and if it’s a minor league deal he will not need to be added to the 40 man roster.
Steve Adams, you’re a baby. Why did you remove my post? I didn’t write anything incendiary. Surprised you had time to look up from your calculator to even read any comments. Nice head.
Removed my comment too..