According to Adam McCalvy of MLB.com, the Chicago Cubs are inviting right-handed pitcher Trevor Richards to spring training. The 31-year-old inked a minor-league deal with the Cubs earlier in the offseason and has officially received his invite to the big-league camp. Last season, Richards logged 65 1/3 innings with the Minnesota Twins. He was typically deployed out of the bullpen but did make two starts. He posted a 4.55 ERA with a 1.21 WHIP. He struck out batters at a modest 22.4 percent rate and struggled to command his pitches as he posted a hefty 12.4 percent walk rate. However, he did generate a strong 3.62 xERA, which suggests he could see some positive regression with the Cubs. Fantasy managers should expect Richards to compete for a bullpen job during spring training and carry minimal fantasy value.
According to Aram Leighton of Just BB Media, the Chicago Cubs have signed right-handed pitcher Trevor Richards to a minor-league deal. Richards logged 65 1/3 innings at the major league level across stints with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Minnesota Twins. He posted a 4.55 ERA and a 1.21 WHIP and was deployed primarily out of the bullpen. He struck out batters at a low 22.4% K rate and struggled with his command as he held a hefty 12.6% walk rate. However, he generated a 3.62 xERA and a 2.05 xBA, both above the average marks. During the 2023 season, Richards posted a similar 4.95 ERA and a 1.35 WHIP through 72 2/3 innings. However, that season, he struck out batters at an impressive 33.3% rate. Richards will likely compete for a spot in the bullpen during spring training.
The Minnesota Twins are acquiring right-handed reliever Trevor Richards from the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday, according to sources. It's unclear what the return is for Richards. It's a minor move for bullpen depth for Minnesota as they look to stay in the American League wild-card race down the stretch. Richards has gone 2-1 this year in Toronto with a 4.64 ERA (4.40 FIP) and a 1.15 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and 24 walks in 52 1/3 innings pitched over 45 appearances (two starts). The 31-year-old has essentially been an innings-eater out of the bullpen for the Blue Jays the last two years. Richards has seen his strikeout rate drop from over 30% last year to 22.5% this year while continuing to walk a hefty amount of hitters. Richards is only attractive in fantasy in deep holds leagues.
Trevor Richards To Open, Bowden Francis To Serve As Bulk Reliever
The Toronto Blue Jays announced that right-hander Trevor Richards will serve as the team's opener on Tuesday night against the visiting Baltimore Orioles, with right-hander Bowden Francis (forearm) expected to get the bulk of the innings in relief. Francis will be activated off the 15-day injured list for the assignment. Richards tossed 3 1/3 innings of relief last week against the Chicago White Sox and has gone more than an inning in seven of his 25 relief appearances this year, but fantasy managers looking for a streamer should still avoid the 31-year-old veteran. His last appearance came on Sunday against the Pirates. Francis, 28, has been out since late April with forearm tendonitis and had an ugly 8.59 ERA and 1.70 WHIP with 17 K's and seven walks in 14 2/3 innings for Toronto before going on the IL. Francis will be on a limited pitch count and should be avoided for streaming purposes.
Toronto Blue Jays relief pitcher Trevor Richards (neck) has begun a rehab assignment at Triple-A Buffalo. The 29-year-old landed on the 15-day injured list due to a strained neck back on June 18. He's been having a rough year out of the pen, pitching to a 6.59 ERA and a 1.57 WHIP across 28.2 innings. He's been struggling mightily with his control, averaging 5.0 BB/9, which is way up from last year's 2.8 BB/9 average.
Trevor Richards, Bowden Francis Heading To Toronto
The Toronto Blue Jays are acquiring right-handers Trevor Richards and Bowden Francis from the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday in exchange for first baseman Rowdy Tellez. Richards was traded alongside Willy Adames from the Rays to the Brewers already this year, and now he'll head back to the American League East. He'll give a banged-up Toronto bullpen some more help going into the second half of the season. Richards has a 3.69 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 41/12 K/BB in 31 2/3 innings for the Rays and Brewers this year. He does have one save this year when he was with Tampa, but he's unlikely to be in the mix for many ninth-inning save situations in Toronto. Francis has a 3.62 ERA, 1.02 WHIP and 65/17 K/BB in 59 2/3 innings over 11 starts with Double-A Biloxi and Triple-A Nashville so far in 2021.
Willy Adames, Trevor Richards Traded To Milwaukee Friday
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Willy Adames and pitcher Trevor Richards have been traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for relief pitchers Drew Rasmussen and J.P. Feyereisen, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The bigger part of this deal is Adames, who was slashing .197/.254/.371 with five home runs, 15 RBI and 16 runs scored in 41 games. This move opens up a hole at shortstop, and while many managers will be wondering if it's Wander Franco time, the more likely Rays prospect to benefit from this trade is Vidal Brujan. The Rays had previously stated that they were not going to rush Franco because of his age and lack of experience in the upper levels of the minors, which means it's more likely that the 23-year-old Brujan who has six years of experience in the minors could get the call up. If that happens, Brujan would become an instant impact player for his speed. Looking at the other parts of the trade, Richards had recorded one save with a 4.50 ERA over six appearances this season, while also striking out 16 batters in 12 innings of work. Rasmussen and Feyereisen will help shore up a Tampa Bay bullpen that's been hit hard by injuries this year, but outside of SV/HLD formats, their value in fantasy will be very limited.
Trevor Richards Slated To Be Primary Pitcher In Game 2 Thursday
The Tampa Bay Rays have added pitcher Trevor Richards as their 29th man on their roster prior to their double-header against the Baltimore Orioles Thursday. Richards is expected to be the team's primary pitcher in Game 2 of the double-header and could potentially start the game as well. The right-handed Richards has made eight appearances for the Rays this year, including three starts. He has a 5.34 ERA and 1.67 WHIP on the year.
Tampa Bay Rays manager Kevin Cash said that starting pitchers Trevor Richards, Ryan Yarbrough and Charlie Morton are among the pitchers that should be able to go five-plus innings their first time out to begin the regular season. That would suggest that Richards could be in line to take Yonny Chirinos' place in the rotation, as Chirinos has yet to join the team at summer camp. Richards, a 27-year-old right-hander, pitched well for Tampa last year after they acquired him in a trade from Miami. He was 3-0 with a 1.93 ERA, 1.20 WHIP and 9.3 K/9 in seven games (three starts) over 23 1/3 frames. He could be an attractive early season DFS play based on the matchups, and Richards is also worth a flier in AL-only leagues if he has a rotation spot in hand.
Andrew Kittredge Opening For Trevor Richards Thursday
The Tampa Bay Rays are using Andrew Kittredge as an opener against the Houston Astros Thursday, with Trevor Richards to pitch the bulk of the innings. If you have Richards in a deeper league and don't want to risk him blowing up against Houston, remember to remove him from your lineups as he won't be marked as a starter. And, of course, neither he nor Kittredge is a DFS option in this configuration.
Trevor Richards
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