Jan. 17: It’s a two-year minor league contract for Wantz, studies Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Occasions. The 2-year time period of the contract — and the dearth of a 2025 spring invite — are as a result of the truth that Wantz is recovering from that elbow process and gained’t be able to pitch this spring anyhow.
Jan. 16: The Rays have signed righty Andrew Wantz to a minor league deal, in line with the MLB.com transaction log. A consumer of Beverly Hills Sports activities Council, Wantz elected minor league free company firstly of the offseason.
Wantz has pitched in components of 4 seasons out of the Angels bullpen. He bought an honest quantity of run in center aid between 2021-23. Wantz topped 20 appearances and threw no less than 25 innings in every of these seasons. He mixed for a 3.85 earned run common whereas putting out greater than 1 / 4 of batters confronted throughout 117 frames.
The 29-year-old righty didn’t get a lot work final 12 months. He solely made one huge league look, tossing 1 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Wantz labored as a starter for six of his seven outings at Triple-A Salt Lake, his greatest stretch out of the rotation since he was in Double-A in 2019. He allowed a 6.17 ERA over 23 1/3 frames. Wantz punched out a wonderful 31.8% of opponents however issued walks to an untenable 14% of batters confronted.
An elbow damage ended his season in June. Wantz underwent some type of season-ending surgical procedure, although it was not a full Tommy John process. The Halos opted to not carry him on the 40-man roster after that damage and waived him on the finish of the season. As soon as he returns to well being, Wantz can compete for a spot in Kevin Money’s center aid group or stretch again out as rotation depth on a Tampa Bay group that’s continuously prepared to transform relievers to beginning pitchers.
