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The numbers
Mike Morin: 28 IP, 12.7 K%, 6.8 BB%, 5.79 ERA, -0.3 bWAR
Blake Parker: 25 IP, 31.6 K%, 6.1 BB%, 5.04 ERA, 0.0 bWAR
The good
They were cheap - Both men were members of the Twins, but the team soured on them. Morin was traded for cash, while Parker was released and then signed by the Phillies.
They were durable - Morin appeared in 29 games after joining the team in mid-July, while Parker got into 22 games after arriving on August 1.
They weren’t the worst relievers on the team - Both pitchers pitched well after first joining the team.
For those who were wondering why I was so interested in those ‘fringe’ DFA’d bullpen arms:
— Alex Carr (@AlexCarrMLB) August 22, 2019
Blake Parker since joining the Phillies:
9.2 IP, 0.72 WHIP, 3.32 FIP, 14 K
Mike Morin since joining the Phillies:
14.0 IP, 0.71 WHIP, 2.85 FIP, 9 K
They’ve been EXCELLENT contributors.
My nephew really likes Parker - I don’t know why, but he insisted that Parker was the team’s best reliever.
The bad
As it turns out, winning teams like the Twins don’t often let high-quality relievers go for basically nothing. Perhaps because they were so frequently called upon, there were a few rough outings for both men. It was especially notable when they were used in high leverage situations.
I know the Phillies essentially lost 7/8 of their projected bullpen to injury, but surely we could have avoided Mike Morin, Blake Parker and Edgar García in the late innings of a pennant race, no?
— John Stolnis (@JohnStolnis) August 31, 2019
The future
Both pitchers were outrighted by the Phillies and opted to become free agents. It’s possible that the team will attempt to re-sign them as depth pieces, but if either one ends up pitching key innings in 2020, then something has (once again) gone horribly wrong.