Richards was among 20 non-roster players invited to spring training by the Cubs on Friday, Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports.
Richards joined the Cubs last month on a minor-league deal, and he will now officially participate in spring training, where he'll compete for a bullpen job. The righty compiled a 4.55 ERA and 1.21 WHIP across 65.1 innings for Toronto and Minnesota last season. If Richards does make the team, he'll likely have a low-leverage role and figures to be mostly off the fantasy radar.
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Cubs' Trevor Richards: Gets MiLB deal from CHC
Rotowire
The Cubs signed Richards to a minor-league contract Monday, Aram Leighton of Just Baseball reports.
Richards had a 4.55 ERA in 2024 between the Blue Jays and Twins and saw his strikeout rate dip from 33.3 percent to 22.4 percent year-over-year. That said, as a versatile arm with some swing-and-miss ability, he's a solid get on a minor-league contract. Presumably, he'll receive an invitation to spring training, where he'll compete for a bullpen gig.
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Twins' Trevor Richards: Outrighted to Triple-A
Rotowire
The Twins outrighted Richards to Triple-A St. Paul on Monday.
Richards had been designated for assignment following a 4.15 ERA with 11 walks and seven wild pitches in 13 innings after being acquired at the trade deadline. He's no longer on the 40-man roster but will remain in the organization as relief depth at St. Paul.
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Twins' Trevor Richards: DFA'd by Minnesota
Rotowire
Richards was designated for assignment by Minnesota on Tuesday.
The Twins acquired Richards at the trade deadline for minor-league infielder Jay Harry, but he struggled with the Twins. Richards had a 4.15 ERA with 11 walks and seven wild pitches in 13 innings as he could not command his changeup - his key out pitch. The Twins have struggled with finding depth in their bullpen and cut their losses.
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Twins' Trevor Richards: Moved to Minnesota
Rotowire
The Twins acquired Richards on Tuesday in exchange for infielder Jay Harry, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports.
Richards will provide the Twins with a right-handed option out of the bullpen who's capable of covering multiple innings. The 31-year-old covered 52.1 frames over his 45 appearances with the Blue Jays this season, logging a 4.64 ERA with seven holds and a 49:24 K:BB.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Returns to bullpen
Rotowire
Richards struck out one over two scoreless innings of relief in Monday's 7-3 loss to the Red Sox. He gave up no hits and one walk in the 33-pitch appearance.
He had served as an opening pitcher in front of Bowden Francis in two of his previous five appearances, but Richards looks set to occupy a full-time role in the bullpen moving forward. The Blue Jays are expected to bring back Yariel Rodriguez (back) from the 15-day injured list this weekend in Cleveland, and he'll presumably step into the No. 5 spot in the rotation that had previously been covered by Richards-Francis tandem.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Set to start Saturday
Rotowire
Richards will serve as the Blue Jays' opening pitcher for Saturday's matchup with the Guardians, Keegan Matheson of MLB.com repports.
Richards operated as an opener in the team's 10-1 loss to the Orioles on June 4 and he appears to be set for a similar role Saturday. The right-hander reached his season-high 40 pitches in that matchup with Baltimore and likely won't last long enough to qualify for a win versus Cleveland. Bowden Francis is expected to operate as a bulk reliever once Richards exits the contest.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Steps up, earns win Wednesday
Rotowire
Richards (1-0) allowed a hit and a walk over 3.1 scoreless innings to earn the win Wednesday versus the White Sox.
Alek Manoah started the game but left in the second inning due to right elbow discomfort. Richards stepped up with his longest outing of the season to at least partially spare the Blue Jays' bullpen, and he was rewarded with the victory. Richards has a 3.29 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 26:13 K:BB over 27.1 innings this season. If Manoah is forced to miss time, it's unlikely Richards steps into the rotation, as he hasn't regularly seen work as a starter since 2019.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Impressive start to season
Rotowire
Richards walked two and struck out two in a scoreless inning of relief during Sunday's loss to the Yankees.
The 30-year-old right-hander has come up big for the Blue Jays bullpen in the early going while Jordan Romano (elbow) and Erik Swanson (forearm) have been on the shelf. Richards has appeared in six of Toronto's first 10 games, posting a 0.00 ERA and 8:3 K:BB over 5.2 innings while giving up only two hits -- although he did allow an inherited runner to score on a wild pitch Sunday. He hasn't seen a lot of high-leverage usage and only has one hold so far, but Richards' ability to work longer outings and collect bulk strikeouts with solid ratios gives him some fantasy value in deep AL-only formats.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Still sharpening command
Rotowire
Richards allowed one run on two hits and a walk over 1.2 innings of relief during Wednesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates. He struck out two.
The veteran righty has 10 strikeouts in 6.1 innings this spring, but he's also issued five free passes as he tries to iron out the kinks before Opening Day. Richards' ability to rack up bulk Ks via his elite changeup, and his flexible role in the Blue Jays bullpen, keep him on the fantasy radar in deeper formats -- over 72.2 innings in 2023 he collected 105 strikeouts, two wins and a career-high 11 holds, but they came with a 4.95 ERA and 1.35 WHIP.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Gets $2.15 million
Rotowire
Richards agreed to a one-year, $2.15 million deal with the Blue Jays on Thursday, avoiding arbitration, Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca reports.
The 30-year-old swing man has made three or more starts in five of his six MLB seasons but he has not logged more than 75 innings since he threw 135.1 frames in 2019. Richards had a 4.95 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 105 strikeouts in 72.2 innings last year.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Starts rehab assignment
Rotowire
Richards (neck) began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Tuesday.
Richards' first rehab appearance was postponed as Buffalo was rained out, but the right-hander is game-ready after missing the previous two weeks with neck inflammation. Assuming he gets into Wednesday's game, it's possible that's the only appearance he'll need before rejoining the Blue Jays' bullpen.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Throws bullpen session
Rotowire
Richards (neck) threw a successful bullpen session Friday, Kaitlyn McGrath of The Athletic reports.
Richards appears on track to return from the 15-day injured list when first eligible next weekend. The 30-year-old right-hander had registered a 2.98 ERA and 83 strikeouts through 54.1 innings this season with the Blue Jays before he went on the shelf Aug. 3 due to neck inflammation.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Lands on IL with sore neck
Rotowire
Richards was placed on the 15-day injured list Thursday, retroactive to August 2, with neck inflammation.
It doesn't sound like an overly serious issue, but Richards will be missed in the Toronto bullpen as he spends at least the next two weeks on the shelf. The 30-year-old right-hander has posted a sharp 2.98 ERA with 83 strikeouts through 54.1 innings of work this season for the Blue Jays.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Hit with first loss
Rotowire
Richards (0-1) took the loss Saturday as the Blue Jays fell 4-2 to the Rangers, giving up three runs on three hits and a walk over three innings. He struck out two.
Toronto has gone with something of a tandem approach to filling the hole in its rotation, and for the second straight appearance Richards started and went three innings before giving way to the rest of the bullpen. Unlike his last outing June 10, when he fanned seven Twins over three shutout frames, the right-hander had far less success this time around, tossing 36 of 65 pitches for strikes and serving up back-to-back homers to Josh Jung and Jonah Heim in the second inning. Until Alek Manoah turns things around or Hyun Jin Ryu (elbow) is ready to return, the Jays will likely continue patching together their fifth starter spot, and Richards should remain a big part of that plan. On the season, he sports a 3.82 ERA and 51:15 K:BB through 33 innings.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Strikes out seven in three innings
Rotowire
Richards took a no-decision after working three scoreless innings as a starter in Saturday's 9-4 loss to the Twins. He struck out seven while allowing one hit and one walk.
Richards filled the rotation spot that had previously belonged to the since-optioned Alek Manoah, but because he had worked out of the bullpen in each of his previous 21 outings this season, Richards' workload was monitored carefully. He still managed to impress in the abbreviated outing, recording his nine outs on 53 pitches, including 16 which induced swings and misses. Richards will likely have a longer leash if the Blue Jays decide to have him make another start, though he could still struggle to work deep enough into the contest to qualify for a win
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Making spot start
Rotowire
Richards will start Saturday's game against the Twins, though he isn't expected to throw more than three innings, Mike Wilner of the Toronto Star reports.
Richards will make the start which would have previously gone to Alek Manoah, who was demoted after struggling to a 6.36 ERA in 13 starts. Richards has starting experience, with 56 of his 200 MLB appearances coming in that role, but he's likely to wind up somewhere between an opener and a true starter in Saturday's contest given that he's exclusively pitched in relief this season, only once recording more than six outs. Bowden Francis and Mitch White are available to provide length behind him. Whether the Blue Jays elect to build Richards up to a starter's workload and keep him in the rotation going forward or move him back to the bullpen following Saturday's outing remains to be seen.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Collects third hold
Rotowire
Richards walked one and struck out three in a scoreless inning of relief Sunday to record his third hold of the season in a win over the Twins.
He took the ball from Jose Berrios with two outs in the sixth inning before passing the baton to Erik Swanson in the seventh, as the Blue Jays staff tossed a combined five-hit shutout. Richards' plus-plus changeup has been dancing this season, and the 30-year-old righty has fanned multiple batters in 10 of his last 11 appearances, producing a 3.24 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 26:8 K:BB through 16.2 innings over that stretch.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Remains in bullpen mix
Rotowire
Richards has posted a 14:5 K:BB without allowing a home run over 7.1 innings this spring.
The right-hander's elite changeup looks as baffling as ever, but his lack of even an average fastball has led to some erratic numbers in the majors. Richards posted a 5.34 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 2022 despite a 29.2 percent strikeout rate, thanks in part to a career-worst 12.5 percent walk rate. He'll likely fill a lower-leverage role for Toronto this season.
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Blue Jays' Trevor Richards: Avoids arbitration with Toronto
Rotowire
Richards signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Blue Jays on Friday to avoid arbitration, Ben Nicholson-Smith of Sportsnet.ca reports.
The 29-year-old held a 5.34 ERA but also struck out 82 over 64 innings for the Blue Jays last season. Richards has plenty of past starting experience but appears pegged for a full-time relief gig again in 2023. He did serve as an opener for the Jays a few times in 2022 and might be used some in that role again for the upcoming season.
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