Cubs sign RHP Casey Kelly, re-Sign LHP Manny Parra to minor league contracts
The Cubs announced Friday the 24 players that received non-roster invites to Major League Spring Training. And RHP Casey Kelly and LHP Manny Parra were on the list of players that will be with the Cubs this spring.
The Cubs were linked to RHP Casey Kelly prior to signing LHP Brett Anderson. The front office has a history with Casey Kelly.
Theo Epstein, Jed Hoyer and Jason McLeod selected Kelly in the first round of the 2008 draft (30th overall pick) when they were calling the shots for the Red Sox. Epstein traded Kelly to San Diego in December 2010, along with Anthony Rizzo, in the deal that sent 1B Adrian Gonzalez to Boston.
Kelly spent last season in the Braves organization after he was dealt from the Padres, along with Ricardo Rodriguez, for Christian Bethancourt.
Kelly appeared in 10 games for the Braves and made one start. Kelly was 0-3 with a 5.82 ERA, 1.70 WHIP and 4.35 WHIP. Kelly allowed 14 runs on 30 hits and seven walks. He struck out seven in 21 2/3 innings. The 27-year old right-hander was 3-6 in 15 games, 12 starts, with a 3.53 ERA and 1.24 WHIP for Triple-A Gwinnett.
In three years in the majors with the Padres and Braves, Kelly owns a 2-8 record in 19 games, nine starts, with a 6.39 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and 4.51 FIP.
• Casey Kelly’s Page on Baseball-Reference
LHP Manny Parra inked a minor league contract with the Cubs last February. Parra spent the spring in big league camp on a non-roster invitation and pitched rather well. Parra made a strong push to make the team before he was released, along with Munenori Kawasaki and Shane Victorino, and re-signed the same day.
The Cubs avoided paying the retention bonus ($100,000) to Parra by releasing him.
Parra had season-ending Tommy John surgery on April 9 and spent the 2016 season rehabbing.
Parra received a non-roster invite but it is unlikely he will be able to pitch in games, if at all, until late in the spring.
Manny Parra turned 34 on the day of Game 5 of The World Series (Oct. 30). Parra was 1-2 in 40 games for the Reds in 2015 with a 3.90 ERA, 1.17 WHIP and 3.07 FIP. Over eight years in the majors, Parra is 29-41 in 322 games, 74 starts, with a 4.90 ERA, 1.58 WHIP and 4.17 FIP.
• Manny Parra’s Page on Baseball-Reference
