Former Phillie Vince Velasquez signs with Pirates
Former Philadelphia Phillies’ righty Vince Velasquez has agreed to a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates, according to ESPN‘s Kiley McDaniel. Robert Murray of FanSided says that the deal will pay Velasquez $3.15 million.
After breaking into the league with the Astros in 2015, Velasquez was traded to the Phillies in a deal that sent reliever Ken Giles back to Houston. It was the first major move of the Matt Klentak era, and perhaps represented the frustrating string of seasons better than any transaction that was made after by the regime.
While Velasquez occasionally flashed the potential to be an impact Major League starter, he ultimately posted a 4.93 ERA and 4.59 FIP across 582 2/3 innings. Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies designated Velasquez for assignment in September of 2021, and ultimately released him.
Despite making four disastrous starts — 8.53 ERA, 7.75 FIP — for the San Diego Padres at the end of the 2021 season, Velasquez still landed a Major League contract last winter with the Chicago White Sox. But for $3 million, the White Sox received a 4.78 ERA and 4.25 FIP across 27 games, only nine of which were starts.
And yet, the brief glimpses into what Velasquez could be — or could have been — continue to intrigue teams. At age 30, Velasquez will join a Pirates team that went just 62-100 this past season. He’s the second former Phillie to join the cross-state rivals this offseason, as Carlos Santana signed a one-year/$6.725 million deal with the Pirates in late November.
