Phillies Sign Lefty Cesar Ramos to Minor-League Deal
By John Town
The Phillies shored up their pitching depth with the signing of 32-year old left-handed pitcher Cesar Ramos on a minor-league deal.
The Phillies made a small acquisition on Thursday with the signing of 32-year old left-handed pitcher Cesar Ramos to a minor-league deal. The move was first reported by Chris Cotillo of SB Nation. The news has yet to be confirmed by the team.
There is no word on if Ramos will join the team during spring training in the big-league camp, but it wouldn’t surprise me. He will likely try to vie for a bullpen role in the majors, but it is more likely he will pitch in Triple-A.
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Ramos has spent parts of eight seasons in the major-leagues. He pitched in Tampa Bay’s bullpen from 2011 to 2014, making seven starts there in 2014. Across four seasons with the Rays, Ramos had a 3.66 ERA, 5-9 record, and 1.297 WHIP in 167 games.
Ramos started the 2016 season with the Rangers, making four starts and 12 relief appearances.
The Rangers released him in July after he posted a 6.04 ERA and went 3-3 in 47.2 innings. He gave up a home run on 20% of the fly balls he allowed. Ramos was worth -0.8 fWAR in that span. The Rangers released him in late July.
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The Tigers signed Ramos to a minor-league deal, and he made eight appearances for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens.
Over his eight-year career, Ramos has a 4.02 ERA, 346.2 innings pitched, 1.399 WHIP, 3.6 BB/9, 7.0 K/9, and 1.93 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He spent four years with the Rays, two with the Padres, one with the Rangers, and one with the Angels.
Ramos adds to the club’s pitching depth, especially in regards to lefties. They are notably lacking in left-handed pitching.
Joely Rodriguez is the only lefty reliever currently on the roster, although Adam Morgan could also wind up in the pen if the team runs low on relievers. Sean Burnett, a non-roster invitee, is also an option as a left-handed reliever.
Check back here at TBOH for any all roster moves made by the Phils.