Well, at least one of the Orioles’ quests to acquire a once-in-the-majors veteran who hadn’t seen significant success or upper-minors playing time in years has ended. Others remain unresolved.
They have signed former Diamondbacks, Indians, and Rays lefty Nick Bierbrodt.
Bierbrodt hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2004, and his three-year big league career involves a 6.66 ERA and 6.18 FIP.
33 in May, Bierbrodt surfaced with the Rockies organization last year. He actually did some good work in the Double-A Texas League before getting shelled in Triple-A (10.45 ERA, 8.38 FIP, 18 walks and seven homers in 20 2/3 innings; Colorado Springs caveats apply on the homers).
It’s been suggested Orioles manager Buck Showalter, who managed Bierbrodt in Arizona when he first came up in 2001, had a big influence in bringing in the erratic lefty. Maybe he should’ve specified which erratic lefty he wanted.
All kidding aside, kudos to Bierbrodt for sticking it out this long–it be one hell of a story if he made it back to the bigs.