In a surprising turn of events, the Athletics have officially reached an agreement with right-handed pitcher Scott Barlow, as reported by Robert Murray from FanSided. This deal, which spans one year, guarantees Barlow $2 million and includes performance incentives that could add up to an additional $1.3 million. However, it's important to note that the Athletics currently have a full 40-man roster, meaning they will need to make a corresponding move to finalize this signing.
At 33 years old, Scott Barlow has built a solid reputation in Major League Baseball. While he does struggle with issuing walks, his effectiveness as a setup pitcher is underscored by his impressive strikeout rate, ability to generate ground balls, and skill in limiting scoring damage.
Over the past three seasons, Barlow has pitched a total of 191 and one-third innings for various teams including the Royals, Padres, Guardians, and Reds. During this time, he has maintained an earned run average (ERA) of 4.28. Notably, he has walked 13% of the batters he faced, which is relatively high, yet he boasts a strikeout rate of 26.3%, along with a ground ball rate of 44.1%. According to Statcast data, his average exit velocity and hard-hit rates have consistently ranked in the 90th percentile or higher across these three seasons. Throughout his career, he has secured 16 saves and recorded 42 holds. His pitching repertoire predominantly features his sweeper, but he also effectively utilizes a four-seam fastball, slider, curveball, and sinker.
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story.
