MLB fact: Phillies owner Middleton has finally completed Deal of another booster with many experience…
Oscar Budejan (X link) reports that right-hander Ricardo Pinto has signed a minor league contract with the Phillies. An invitation to major league Spring Training is part of the package.
The 30-year-old Pinto started working for the Phillies organization in 2012 and eventually made his big league debut in the 2017 campaign. Pinto’s first major league assignment did not go well; in 29 2/3 innings pitched, he labored to a 7.89 ERA, walking 11.6% and striking out just 17% of batters. Shortly before the 2018 season began, Pinto was traded to the White Sox, however he never played in the major leagues for the team.
Even though he was destroyed for four runs on four hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings for Tampa before the Rays designated him for assignment, Pinto eventually caught on with the team and made his way back to the major leagues late in the 2019 season. He had a respectable 4.13 ERA in 104 2/3 innings of work for the club at the Triple-A level. Pinto spent a brief time with the Giants organization before moving abroad to throw for the Korea Baseball Organization in 2020. For the first time since 2016, when he was still playing at the Double-A level, Pinto was employed as a starter in the KBO. Despite his terrible struggles, which resulted in a 6.17 ERA in his 30 starts abroad, he managed to
Pinto, who is going back to affiliated ball, signs with a Phillies team that seems to be largely settled in the bullpen heading into Spring Training. However, Pinto will have a chance to make an impression in camp with non-roster invitees Ryan Burr and Nick Snyder, as well as depth players Michael Rucker and Kaleb Ort who are currently on the club’s 40-man roster. In the event of an injury, any of those arms might be included on the Opening Day roster. They might also be included if they perform better in camp than an arm like right-hander Connor Brogdon.
