Rays invite 3 pitchers to spring training

By foxsports
Published

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays have signed left-handed pitchers Justin Marks and Adam Wilk to minor league contracts with an invitation to major league spring training. Rays minor league right-handed pitcher Kyle McPherson was also invited to major league spring training.

Marks, 28, spent the 2015 season with Triple-A Reno (Diamondbacks), going 5-9 with a 5.63 ERA (108.2-IP, 68-ER) in 28 games (19 starts). He has spent parts of seven minor league seasons with the Oakland A's, Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers and Arizona Diamondbacks organizations, going 33-53 with a 4.73 ERA (654.2-IP, 344-ER). Marks made his major league debut in relief on April 20, 2014, going two innings in the Royals loss against the Minnesota Twins. It remains the only major league game in which he has pitched. Marks was once traded from the A's to the Royals in a trade involving former Rays outfielder David DeJesus.

Wilk, 28, is 0-3 with a 6.49 ERA (26.1-IP, 19-ER) in 9 career major league appearances (3 starts) with the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels. Following four years in the Tigers minor league system, he pitched one season for the NC Dinos in Korea before returning stateside to pitch for Pittsburgh Pirates organization in 2014 and the Angels organization in 2015. Over parts of six minor league seasons, he is 44-48 with a 3.59 ERA (784.2-IP, 313-ER). He played college baseball at Long Beach State University, joining the program the season after Rays third baseman Evan Longoria was drafted.

McPherson, 28, spent the majority of the 2015 season with Double-A Montgomery, going 0-2 with a 7.48 ERA (27.2-IP, 23-ER) in 17 relief appearances. After signing with the Rays as a minor league free agent on May 8, 2015, he made two appearances for the Rookie-level GCL Rays and two appearances for Class-A Charlotte before joining Montgomery for the remainder of the season. He was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 2007 June Draft and spent seven years in the organization, including going 0-2 with a 2.73 ERA (26.1-IP, 8-ER) in 10 appearances (3 starts) in the majors in 2012. Over parts of eight minor league seasons, he is 39-36 with a 3.75 ERA (636-IP, 265-ER).