Diamondbacks sign Dan Straily to minor league
The Diamondbacks signed right-handed Dan Straily to a minor league deal, as officially announcement by the Triple-A Reno Aces. Straily’s deal includes an invite to Arizona’s big league spring camp.
An eight-year MLB veteran, Straily last pitched on the Show in 2019, when he allowed 22 homers in 47 2/3 innings with the Orioles en route to an ungainly 9.82 ERA. Straily opted for a notable change of scenery and joined the Korea Baseball Organization’s Lotte Giants for the 2020 and 2021 seasons, boasting an impressive 3.22 ERA and 24.75% strikeout rate on 360 1/3 sleeves.
Straily took part in a conversation with MLBTR readers on Dec. 14 and noted that a return to the majors was on his mind: “
.” Since Straily is only 33, there is plenty of time for a second act in his Major League history, provided Straily can build on his KBO League success.Beyond the change of competition in South Korea, Straily also said he and the Giants coaching staff are using pitching technology to work on his pitches and improve both his change and his fastball, especially . These changes have apparently caught the attention of the D’Backs, and for the risk-free cost of an underage deal and an invite to camp, Arizona can take a closer look at Straily (every training opener from spring) to see if it can contribute to the active list.
While rotation was one of many things that went south for the Diamondbacks to 110 losses in 2021, the club can at least go into next season with a tentative starting four in place – Zac Gallen, Madison Bumgarner, Merrill Kelly, Luke Weaver figure to be Arizona’s top picks right now. Pitchers like Tyler Gilbert, Taylor Expander, Humberto Mejia, Humberto Castellanos and Caleb Smith could all be in contention for that fifth spot or for bullpen roles, with Straily now adding some veteran depth to what is overall a fairly young and inexperienced group (with the exception of Smith). Injuries or trades could open up new opportunities in the rotation, as Kelly in particular could be a trade chip as he enters the final year of his contract.
Straily has a solid track record in his recent big league past, posting a 4.03 ERA in 495 1/3 innings with the Reds and Marlins from 2016-18. , Straily had apparently established himself as at least a solid inning eater, if he was a homer-prone pitcher. Although Chase Field has a reputation for being a baseball-friendly field, that reputation may be a little dated, given that fewer home runs have been hit at the stadium since the D’Backs began stockpiling baseballs. baseball in a basement ahead of the 2018 season. For the past three years, Chase Field has actually allowed fewer home runs than average, according to Statcast.
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