In our last match of the “Last Man In” tournament, Jeff Hoffman was victorious over Chad Qualls.
Here’s the next showdown:
3. Jake Arrieta, 2018
The Phillies thought they might have a chance at playoff contention in 2018. They had emerged from the rebuilding process with what seemed like some key pieces in place, but there appeared to be a big hole in the rotation. And there was a former Cy Young Award winner lingering on the free agent market who seemed like he’d be a perfect fit.
Eventually, the sides came together on
a three-year deal. Arrieta was not a Cy Young candidate, but it was never realistic to think he would be. (Look at his career performance, and it follows a very bell-shaped curve.) But he was better than most people remember, especially in the first year when he provided a lot of quality innings before results declined in the following years.
14. Ricardo Pinto, 2024
Ricardo Pinto was originally signed in 2011 by the Phillies as an amateur free agent out of Venezuela. He eventually made it to the big leagues for a rather poor 25 game stint in 2017 (7.89 ERA in 25 games). He was traded for international bonus money, and he spent the next few seasons bouncing around the minor leagues as well as a stint in Korea.
The Phillies’ scouts must have seen something they liked of him in Asia because in February 2024, they brought him back as an amateur free agent. His first appearance with the team was a memorable one as he pitched four innings to earn a save.
That was it as far as highlights went. Pitching mostly in mop up situations, he was getting shelled every time out and was demoted to the minors before the end of April, never to return.
Who should advance? Vote now!
