Kyle Crick Opts Out Of Minor League Deal With Rays

Right-hander Kyle Crick has opted out of his minor league deal with the Rays, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. He’ll head back to the open market in search of his next opportunity.

Crick, 30, has pitched in the majors in each of the past six seasons, getting his fair share of strikeouts but also dealing with significant control issues. For his career, he’s made 194 appearances with a 3.56 ERA, striking out 24.6% of batters faced but walking 13.3% of them.

With the White Sox last year, the righty made 14 appearances, posting a 4.02 ERA. He struck out 28.8% of guys who came to the plate but also walked 16.7% of them. He was placed on the injured list in June due to elbow inflammation and never returned. The Sox outrighted him off the roster in November and he elected free agency. In January, Crick was one of three free agent pitchers that held a showcase for interested clubs and he signed with the Rays two weeks later.

It wasn’t publicly reported that Crick had an opt-out in that Rays deal, but he will now return to the open market. His spring showing has been a mixed bag, as he’s tossed 7 2/3 innings with an ERA of 8.22. However, he has 11 strikeouts and just two walks in that small sample size. Despite his persistent control issues, he should be able to find himself another opportunity elsewhere based on his strikeout stuff. If he can keep the free passes down, he could be an intriguing pickup for a club looking to bolster its bullpen depth here with the season less than a week away.