Former Dodgers, Yankees Reliever Joins NL Central Squad
Former Los Angeles Dodgers reliever Phil Bickford has signed with the Chicago Cubs on a minor league contract, via Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
Bickford, who played for the Dodgers from 2021-23, is joining his sixth MLB team. Bickford began his career when he was the No. 18 overall pick by the San Francisco Giants in the 2015 MLB Draft. Bickford spent just over a year on the Giants before he was traded alongside Andrew Susac to the Milwaukee Brewers for reliever Will Smith.
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The former first-round pick spent four more years in the minor leagues before the Brewers promoted him to make his MLB debut in Sept. 2020. He pitched in just one inning for the Brewers, allowing four earned runs while striking out two. He pitched one more inning for the Brewers the following season in 2021, before he was designated for assignment in April 2021.
The Dodgers claimed Bickford off of waivers less than a week later, and for the first time in his career, Bickford saw significant playing time in the major leagues. During his first season with the Dodgers, Bickford appeared in 56 games and went 4-2 with a career-best 2.50 ERA, 59 strikeouts, and one save.
Bickford played in postseason baseball for the first time that season, allowing four hits and no earned runs as he struck out four over six total innings as the Dodgers advanced to the National League Championship Series and faced the Atlanta Braves.
Bickford did not see the same success the following season for the Dodgers. He appeared in 60 games and went 2-1, but his ERA ballooned up to 4.72. He returned for the 2023 season, but was designated for assignment in late July after going 2-3 with a 5.14 ERA and 48 strikeouts. He was traded shortly after to the New York Mets. Bickford finished the season with the Mets, going 3-2 with a 4.62 ERA and 28 strikeouts over 25 games.
Following the 2023 season, Bickford signed a minor league contract with the New York Yankees in April 2024. He made just eight appearances with the Yankees in 2024, sporting an 8.64 ERA.
Photo Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images
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