The Kansas City Royals reached back into familiar territory on Thursday, bringing Scott Barlow back into the organization on a minor league contract.
Barlow, a 33-year-old right-hander, spent parts of his first six big league seasons with Kansas City and carved out a reputation as a dependable late-inning arm out of the bullpen. Since then, he’s bounced through brief stops with the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Guardians and Cincinnati Reds before landing with the Athletics during the offseason.
That stint in Oakland never really got on track. In 36 appearances, Barlow gave up 24 earned runs on 26 hits across 33.1 innings, finishing with a 6.48 ERA. The A’s cut ties with him on June 24 after he cleared waivers.
Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors pointed to the walks as a key issue, writing: "This year’s 12.5% walk rate is a problem, but it wouldn’t be especially surprising if some of that stemmed from trying to nibble to avoid the long ball in the launching pads where he played his home games."
Adams also noted the split in his command, adding: "Barlow walked 15.1% of his opponents while pitching at home during his A’s tenure. On the road, it was a far more manageable 9.1%."
Kansas City’s bullpen has struggled badly this season, sitting at the bottom of the American League in bullpen ERA. That gives Barlow a path back, and the Royals will see whether he can help stabilize things, even if it’s only in low-leverage spots at first.
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