Former D-backs reliever DFA'd by fourth team in three years

The Marlins designated right-hander Archie Bradley for assignment and recalled righty George Soriano from Triple-A Jacksonville.  Bradley pitched in Miami’s 16-4 loss to the Braves yesterday, allowing seven runs over 2 1/3 innings of work.

All told, Bradley has a 12.27 ERA over 7 1/3 total innings since the Marlins selected his contract from Triple-A in mid-June.  Bradley’s stint in free agency extended into the regular season, as he didn’t sign his minor league deal with Miami until almost two weeks into April.  Missing Spring Training has surely contributed to Bradley’s lack of form, though he did pitch pretty well in Jacksonville, posting a 2.95 ERA in 18 1/3 Triple-A innings.

Bradley was a solid-to-very-good reliever with the Diamondbacks, Reds, and Phillies from 2017-21, highlighted by a stint as Arizona’s closer and even a 20th-place finish in NL MVP voting in 2017 as a nod to a dominant relief campaign. However, things started to go south for Bradley during an injury-plagued 2022 season with the Angels, as he was limited to 18 2/3 innings due to multiple injuries, most prominently an elbow fracture.  He also had a forearm strain right at the end of September, which set back his offseason prep work.

The Marlins have seen enough to move on from the 30-year-old, but it seems likely that Bradley’s past track record and pedigree will earn him a look with another team.  While Bradley may not be quite ready to face Major League batters yet, another extended stint in Triple-A might help him get on track and get fully ramped up after his unusual offseason.  Miami could also keep him in the organization if Bradley clears waivers and accepts an outright assignment to Triple-A, though Bradley has enough big-league service time to elect free agency rather than agree to an outright.