As the Major League Baseball lockout continues, teams are only permitted to sign players to minor league deals. The Philadelphia Phillies did just that this afternoon, announcing that they signed six players to minor league contracts with invitations to attend major league spring training as non-roster invites. The players included RHP Cam Bedrosian, RHP Andrew Bellatti, RHP Tyler Cyr, RHP Joe Gatto, RHP Michael Kelly, and RHP Jake Newberry.
Bedrosian returns to the Phillies, having made his debut with Philadelphia this past season, signing with the team after being designated for assignment by the Oakland Athletics in July. In 11 appearances with the Phillies, he posted an ERA of 4.35 over 10.1 innings.
Bellatti signed as a free agent with the Phillies on Nov. 19. The 30-year-old has spent most of his time in the minors after being drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2009 MLB Draft. He made his major league debut in 2015 with the Rays, appearing in 17 games, pitching to a 2.31 ERA in 23.1 innings. Bellatti began the 2016 season in the Rays' minor league system, but Tampa Bay DFA'd him in June. Bellatti didn't see major league action again until this past season, posting a 13.50 ERA in three games with the Miami Marlins.
Cyr is a 28-year-old reliever hailing from the San Francisco Giants organization. The 10th round pick in 2015 has spent six seasons split between A, AA, and AAA in the Giants' minor leagues. In 240.2 innings, he's pitched to a 2.99 ERA with 29 saves and a 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings.
Gatto, not to be confused with the Impractical Jokers star of the same name, was drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Angels in 2014. The 26-year-old signed as free agent with the Texas Rangers following the 2020 season. In seven seasons in the minor leagues, Gatto has a 4.62 ERA in 508 innings pitched and a 7.7 strikeouts per nine.
Kelly was the 48th overall pick in the 2011 draft by the San Diego Padres. The 29-year-old also spent time with the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros organizations. Through eight minor league seasons, Kelly has a career 5.15 ERA, but between AA and AAA in 2021, he pitched to a 3.06 ERA and an 11.2 strikeouts per nine in 50 innings.
Finally, Newberry made his major league debut with the Kansas City Royals in 2018. In four seasons with the Royals, the 27-year-old has a 4.84 ERA in 70.2 innings with an 8.8 strikeouts per nine. The right-hander struggled in 2021 with Kansas City, posting an abysmal 16.62 ERA in four appearances, causing him to be DFA'd and then outrighted to Triple-A Omaha in June.
The team also stated, as originally announced on Nov. 30, that LHP Kyle Dohy was not tendered a contract and was re-signed to a minor league contract with a spring training invite. Dohy briefly appeared for the Phillies in 2021, making his major league debut on Oct. 2. The 25-year-old pitched one inning in relief, allowing a hit, a walk, and picking up the first ML strikeout of his career.
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