Rays sign Michael Wacha to one-year contract
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—The Tampa Bay Rays have signed free agent right-handed pitcher Michael Wacha to a $3 million contract for the 2021 season. The signing brings the 40-man roster to its full capacity. In addition, the Rays have agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Chris Ellis on a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training.
Wacha (WAHK-ah), 29, is an eight-year veteran of the St. Louis Cardinals (2013-19) and New York Mets (2020) and owns a career 60-43 record with a 4.01 ERA (901.2-IP, 402-ER) in 173 appearances (158 starts). He is 4-2 with a 3.34 ERA (35-IP, 13-ER) in six career postseason starts, five of which came as a rookie in 2013 when the Cardinals won the National League pennant. This included two scoreless starts opposite Clayton Kershaw of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL Championship Series. He remains one of four rookies to win Most Valuable Player of a League Championship Series, along with Randy Arozarena in 2020, Liván Hernández of the Florida Marlins in 1997 and Mike Boddicker of the Baltimore Orioles in 1983. His scoreless streak extended to 18.2 innings in the World Series, and it remains the longest postseason scoreless streak by a rookie in major league history, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Wacha made the NL All-Star Team in 2015, going 17-7 with a 3.38 ERA (181.1-IP, 68-ER) in 30 starts. In 2018, he went 8-2 with a 3.20 ERA (84.1-IP, 30-ER) in 15 starts.
In 2020, Wacha made eight appearances (seven starts) for the Mets and went 1-4 with a 6.62 ERA (34-IP, 25-ER) and a career-high 9.79 strikeouts per nine innings ratio. According to FanGraphs, his swing-and-miss rate of 11.3 pct. was his highest since 2013 (11.4) and he generated swings on a career-high 34.3 pct. of pitches outside the strike zone. On September 23 against the Rays, he pitched a season-high six innings in his final start of the season, but yielded a go-ahead, 2-run homer to Randy Arozarena and the Rays went on to clinch the third AL East title in franchise history, following 2010 and 2008.
Wacha was selected in the first round (19th overall) of the 2012 June Draft out of Texas A&M University with one of two compensatory picks the Cardinals received from losing Albert Pujols as a free agent to the Los Angeles Angels. Over three seasons at Texas A&M, he went 27-7 with a 2.40 ERA (348.2-IP, 93-ER), including a win in his sophomore season at No. 6 Florida State in the Tallahassee Super Regional to send the Aggies to the College World Series.
Ellis, 28, pitched a scoreless inning of relief for the Kansas City Royals on March 31, 2019 against the Chicago White Sox, his only career major league appearance. He was selected in the Rule 5 Draft in December 2018 and returned to the Cardinals after his major league debut. This offseason, he made four appearances (three starts) for the Gigantes del Cibao in the Dominican Winter League, pitching to a 2.50 ERA (18-IP, 5-ER). He was selected by the Angels in the third round of the 2014 June Draft out of the University of Mississippi. Over six minor league seasons in the Angels (2014-15), Atlanta Braves (2016) and Cardinals (2017-19) systems, he is 45-40 with a 4.80 ERA (645.1-IP, 344-ER) in 164 appearances (106 starts).