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Minnesota Twins: Blake Parker elects to become a free agent

By Chris Schad

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 29: Blake Parker #38 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning of the game on April 29, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Astros 1-0. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - APRIL 29: Blake Parker #38 of the Minnesota Twins delivers a pitch against the Houston Astros during the ninth inning of the game on April 29, 2019 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Twins defeated the Astros 1-0. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /
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The Minnesota Twins made Parker the fourth reliever to be designated for assignment this month and after clearing waivers, he has elected to become a free agent.

July has been a rough month for the Minnesota Twins bullpen. With the unit’s ERA inflating up to 4.37 (good for 15th in Major League Baseball), the Twins have been busy trying to overhaul the unit on the fly by designating four of their relievers for assignment.

The most recent reliever that found his head on the chopping block was Blake Parker. After the Twins couldn’t make a deal within a 10-day window after designating him for assignment and the veteran cleared waivers, Parker opted to become a free agent over accepting an assignment to Triple-A Rochester..

Parker’s stint with the Twins got off to a decent start in April and May, but the wheels came off after the calendar turned to June. In 18 games since June 1, Parker posted a 6.50 ERA and opposing batters were slashing .289/.372/.566 off the 34-year old. With the Twins looking to fill their bullpen needs from outside the organization, Parker’s potential return to the major league club could have been a long one, which is likely where this decision came from on his end.

With Parker now off the roster and the addition of Sergio Romo over the weekend, the Twins currently have 37 players on their 40-man roster. As Wednesday’s trade deadline approaches, Minnesota could be in line to add more reinforcements to the roster as they’ve been connected with Toronto’s Ken Giles and New York’s Noah Syndergaard in recent weeks.

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Whether the Twins will actually use that spot remains to be seen, but for now, it appears that Parker will be out of the picture.

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