The Tampa Bay Rays have reached an agreement with right-handed reliever Joey Gerber on a minor league contract, as reported by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. As part of the deal, Gerber, 27, will receive a non-roster invitation to the team’s MLB spring training camp. This marks Gerber’s attempt to return to the major leagues for the first time in five years. Originally from Illinois, Gerber made his MLB debut with the Seattle Mariners during the 2020 season, a shortened campaign due to the pandemic.
He appeared in 15 2/3 innings, during which he gave up eight runs, seven of them earned. However, a forearm injury severely hindered his career over the next two years, and the Mariners ultimately released him in the middle of the 2022 season. Shortly after being released by Seattle, Gerber signed with the New York Yankees, but injuries continued to plague him, and he missed the entirety of the 2023 season. He spent the first half of the 2024 season on the minor league injured list as well.
By late June, Gerber had regained his health and was reinstated from the IL. The Yankees then assigned him to Double-A Somerset, where he showed promising signs of recovery, posting a solid performance by striking out 18 batters and allowing only three runs in 15 1/3 innings. This strong showing earned him a promotion to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. His time in Triple-A was less dominant, as he threw 14 innings, allowed 10 runs (six earned), and struck out 15 while walking eight batters. Despite this, his fastball velocity remained solid, averaging 93.5 MPH, which matched his speed from his 2020 debut. Additionally, Gerber generated swinging strikes on 13.4% of his pitches in Triple-A, which caught the attention of the Rays. The combination of his arm strength and ability to get hitters to miss the ball made him an intriguing prospect for Tampa Bay. If Gerber can remain healthy and continue to perform well in camp, there is potential for him to eventually join the Rays’ bullpen under manager Kevin Cash’s leadership.
