Arizona Diamondbacks Sign Former A's Right-Hander

The Arizona Diamondbacks have added the their depth, bringing in right-hander Brandon Bielak on a minor-league deal, according to Ari Alexander of KPRC 2. Bielak had been waived by the Athletics in the fall, and subsequently elected minor-league free agency.

The 28-year-old made his big-league debut in 2020 with the Houston Astros, and remained with the team until he was traded to Oakland last May. He was immediately added to the A's roster, where he would make three appearances out of the bullpen spanning 5.2 innings.

In two of those outings, he racked up 2.2 frames, and in the final one he was called upon to record one out. He was designated for assignment shortly thereafter, but remained in the organization with the Triple-A Las Vegas Aviators.

There, he would get into 16 games, making 13 starts and racking up 66.2 innings and a 6.08 ERA in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. In the minor leagues, 82 of 116 (71%) of Bielak's appearances have come as a starting pitcher. At the next level, he's been largely a multi-inning bullpen arm, getting just 21 starts in 76 trips (28%) to the mound.

With the talent that the Arizona Diamondbacks have in the starting rotation, it's tough to see that trend reversing course unless things go completely sideways for the snakes. That said, a role in the bullpen isn't completely out of the question at some point.

Shelby Miller is a non-roster guy currently projected to be in the D-Backs bullpen, but he's also coming off a season where he held a 4.50 ERA and is projected for similar results in 2025. 35-year-old Kendall Graveman is a great signing that could be a huge diamond in the rough, but he also hasn't pitched since 2023, so how available he'll be is a bit of a question mark.

Even if there are some injuries that Arizona has to compensate for, Bielak's path to a roster spot isn't necessarily assured. The Diamondbacks have a slew of pitchers they can turn to if they need a few quick innings.

Bielak's stuff grades out as below average across the board, but he has pretty decent location, which has made him somewhat effective throughout his career. If Arizona can work with him on upping his pitch mix just a little bit, and he can keep his command of those pitches, then he could be a nice depth piece for the club moving forward.