Phillies Sign Reliever Qualls

Chad Qualls (AP)

The Phillies have made what would seem like one final move to try and solidify the bullpen by signing veteran Chad Qualls.

From the Phillies:

Right-hander Chad Qualls signed a one-year, $1.15 million contract with the Phillies, Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.  The contract includes performance and awards bonuses.

Qualls, 33, went 6-8 with a 3.51 ERA in a team-high 77 games for the San Diego Padres last season.  In his final 19 appearances, he posted a 1.96 ERA and held opposing hitters to a .219 batting average.  Qualls made the eighth-most relief appearances among all major league pitchers last year.

Over the past seven seasons (2005-11), Qualls has made more appearances (512) than any other major league pitcher and ranks second in relief wins (34), trailing only Jesse Crain (38).

Originally a second-round selection by the Houston Astros, Qualls has a career record of 38-34 with 51 saves and a 3.78 ERA in 537 games for the Astros (2004-07), Arizona Diamondbacks (2008-10), Tampa Bay Rays (2010) and Padres (2011).

Qualls will wear #50.

I think you’re all well aware of my stance on guys of this ilk. Is he going to be a big difference maker over cheaper, younger, less proven relief pitchers like Michael Schwimer or Justin De Fratus, among others? Not that it’s a waste of over $1 million, but it just seems like an unnecessary investment. Perhaps Ed Wade has his paws on this one, as Qualls is a former Houston Astro. That being said, Qualls has been a decent pitcher in this league for a long time.

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Pat Gallen

Pat joined Phillies Nation in July 2009, coming over from Examiner.com. As a previous employee of both Comcast SportsNet and the National Basketball Association, Pat prides himself on being a well-rounded individual when it comes to sports. However, the Phillies are first on the list. You’ll usually find Pat chiming in on the Phillies Nation Facebook or Twitter account, weekdays on 97.3 ESPN radio or hosting Phillies Nation TV. He’s also a Senior Writer for the site, and in his free time is a music enthusiast and Will Ferrell movie-follower. His favorite beer: Philly’s own Yards. In 2015, Pat moved on from Phillies Nation as a sports anchor and reporter for CBS-3 in Philadelphia.

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