Cardinals sign veteran reliever Blake Parker to minor league deal

The Cardinals announced that right-hander Blake Parker has been signed to a minor league contract. Parker will receive an invitation to the Cards’ major league spring camp.

This will mark the third straight winter with a minor league deal for Parker, though he has produced good bottom-line results in each of the last two seasons. With the Phillies in 2020, Parker had a 2.81 ERA in 16 innings during the abbreviated season, posting a 36.2% strikeout rate but also an unwieldy 13% walk rate. Both of those latter numbers dropped with Cleveland last year. Parker’s control improved with a 7.6% walk rate but he only managed a 20% strikeout rate. Still, Parker did have a 3.09 ERA over 43 2/3 frames out of the Indians’ bullpen.

With a 3.47 ERA over 345 1/3 career innings in the majors, Parker has been a solid relief option for the majority of his nine big league seasons. He struggled through a rough year in 2019, however, as a lack of control and an inability to keep the ball in the park led to some poor results with the Twins (after beginning the season as Minnesota’s closer) and Phillies.

The 36-year-old Parker will now look to again win himself another trip to the majors via the St. Louis bullpen. Zach McAllister and Kyle Ryan are two of the other experienced non-roster candidates vying for jobs, and the Cardinals also brought the likes of Drew VerHagen and Nick Wittgren into the fold on MLB contracts. Aaron Brooks was another minor league signing, but the Cards have already locked him into a guaranteed deal by adding him to their 40-man roster.

All in all, there are plenty of arms competing for jobs on a staff that is still adjusting to the news that Jack Flaherty and Alex Reyes will begin the season on the injured list. Reyes is out until at least late May and Flaherty’s timetable is less certain, thus creating ripple effects in both the rotation and the bullpen.