The Philadelphia Phillies have announced that they have signed right-handed pitcher Chad Billingsley. The deal is a one-year contract worth $1.5 million. Billingsley does have the opportunity to make more with performance bonuses.
The 30-year-old Billingsley is a hard throwing righty with impressive pure stuff. He has spent his entire big league career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a career 81-61 record with a 3.65 ERA in 190 career starts and 29 bullpen appearances.
Billingsley’s best season with the Dodgers was as a 23-year-old in 2008 where he went 16-10 with a 3.14 ERA (3.35 FIP) and struck out nine batters per nine innings. He pitched 200.2 innings that season, the only year of his career where he went over 200.
He continued to be solid after 2008, but it is fair to say that Billingsley never reached his full potential. He always had very impressive pure pitching talent, and while he was good for a while, he never became great like his talent could have allowed.
Billingsley has not pitched in the major leagues since April of 2013, when the Dodgers shut him down for Tommy John surgery. He did make a couple of minor league rehab starts for the Dodgers last season, before he went under the knife once again to repair his elbow.
This is simply an upside grab for the Phillies. With his array of recent elbow issues, the Phillies would be foolish to count on Billingsley for much. That being said, if he can regain any sort of health in his arm, there is likely to be plenty of potential remaining. Signing Billingsley at $1.5 million makes it practically a no-risk move.