Phillies sign 3 pitchers to minor-league deals with ST invites

Add three more arms to a growing list of veterans that the Philadelphia Phillies have taken fliers on this offseason.

The club announced Tuesday that they’ve signed the trio of Bryan Mitchell, David Paulino and Héctor Rondón, all right-handed pitchers, to minor-league contracts with invites to major league spring training.

Of the three, Rondón is the most intriguing addition. While he had a disastrous 2020 season with the Arizona Diamondbacks – posting a 7.65 ERA in 23 games – Rondón has a 3.49 ERA and 3.63 FIP in 444 career appearances. He also has extensive postseason experience, having spent the bulk of his career with the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros. If the soon-to-be 33-year-old looks good in camp, he could prove to be an excellent addition for the Phillies, who had a historically-bad bullpen in 2020. If not, no big deal.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network says that if Rondón makes the major league roster, he’ll do so with a base salary of $1.5 million, with an additional $1 million in incentives.

Mitchell, not to be confused with the former Eagle, has a 5.15 ERA and 5.05 FIP in 64 career games, 20 of which have been starts. Though he hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2018, Mitchell spent parts of four seasons with the New York Yankees between 2013 and 2017. He throws a fourseam fastball and sinker that sit in the mid-90s, along with a change-up and curveball. While Mitchell hasn’t had much success at the major league level yet, perhaps his former Yankees manager, Joe Girardi, is still intrigued by the upside of the 29-year-old.

Paulino, 26, has a 5.84 ERA and 4.84 FIP in 16 career games at the major league level, seven of which were starts. He’s spent time with the Houston Astros and Toronto Blue Jays, last appearing at the major league level in 2018.

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