Marlins sign ex-Phillies reliever to minor league contract

The Miami Marlins on Friday signed right-handed reliever Zach Pop to a minor league contract, according to MLB.com transaction logs. The 29-year-old pitcher will report to Triple-A Jacksonville after joining the organization.

Pop originally signed a major league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies over the winter and broke camp with the club. He appeared in seven games for Philadelphia, allowing three earned runs over 7 1/3 innings pitched. His run was interrupted when he suffered a right calf strain on April 13, which led to a period on the injured list. After returning to health, the Phillies chose not to reinstate him to the major league roster. Because he is out of minor league options, Philadelphia designated him for assignment. He later cleared waivers and elected free agency last weekend. During his time at Triple-A, he allowed eight runs in eight innings.

Pop now returns to Miami, where he began his MLB career as a Rule 5 selection in 2021. In his earlier tenure with the Marlins, he pitched parts of two seasons and recorded an earned run average just under 4.00 across 74 2/3 innings. He was later traded to the Toronto Blue Jays at the 2022 deadline.

Since leaving Miami, Pop has also spent time with the Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, along with the Phillies. He has a career 4.83 ERA over 169 2/3 innings pitched. His pitching profile is built around a 96.2 mph sinker that generates a high number of ground balls but limited strikeouts. If he produces better results in Jacksonville, he could eventually be considered for a role in the Marlins bullpen.

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