The Diamondbacks have signed right-hander Zach McAllister to a minor league deal, per Chris Hilburn-Trenkle of Baseball America. McAllister will presumably receive an invitation to major league Spring Training, though no official announcement has been made.
McAllister, 35, appeared in eight big league seasons from 2011 to 2018 but hasn’t made it back since. He spent most of that big league tenure with Cleveland before getting released in 2018 and then making three appearances with the Tigers. He was a solid starter for a time, posting a 4.24 ERA over 22 starts in 2012 and then a 3.75 ERA in 24 starts in 2013. He struggled in 2014, however, and was transitioned into a bullpen role.
He had a good three-year run of effective relief from 2015 to 2017, posting a 2.99 ERA in that time while striking out 26.1% of batters faced and walking 8.6% of them. Unfortunately, his ERA ballooned to 6.20 in 2018, leading to his release. He’s been pitching in the minors since then, spending 2022 in the Cardinals’ system. He tossed 67 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 3.99 ERA, 30% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate. He’ll provide the Snakes with a veteran depth option who is coming off a season of solid results in the minors.
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