Tampa Bay Rays Re-Sign Relief Pitcher Michael Flynn to Minor League Contract

Michael Flynn only made six Triple-A appearances after getting traded to the Tampa Bay Rays this summer, but the club has decided to welcome him back on a new contract.

Sep 6, 2019; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; A detail view of a Tampa Bay Rays hat and glove at Tropicana Field. | Kim Klement-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Rays are re-signing right-handed pitcher Michael Flynn on a minor league contract, MLB Trade Rumors' Steve Adams reported Wednesday afternoon.

Flynn has netted an invitation to big league Spring Training as part of the deal. He can earn up to $900K in 2025 if he makes the major league roster.

The 28-year-old reliever has yet to make it past Triple-A to this point in his career, however.

#Rays are re-signing RHP Michael Flynn on a minor league deal with spring training invite, I’m told. $900K salary in the majors.

Rays originally acquired him from #Dodgers in exchange for Amed Rosario. 33 K% in minors this season.

— Steve Adams (@Adams_Steve) October 23, 2024

The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Flynn in the sixth round of the MLB Draft. The Arizona product made just nine professional appearances over the next two seasons, though, and he didn't pitch at all in 2020 or 2021.

Flynn returned to the mound in 2022 after inking a minor league deal with the Seattle Mariners. He spent the next two seasons working his way through their farm system before signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers gave Flynn his first shot in Triple-A, then shipped him to Tampa Bay in exchange for veteran utility man Amed Rosario ahead of the 2024 trade deadline. He only logged six appearances for Triple-A Durham, going 0-1 with a 6.35 ERA and 1.765 WHIP.

While Flynn is 6-10 with a 6.21 ERA and 1.407 WHIP as a pro, he has racked up 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings across his career. Just over the past two seasons, he has struck out 13.2 batters per nine innings.

The Rays took a flier on Flynn this summer, and they evidently aren't ready to bail on him just yet. Even if he is purely a strikeout specialist at the moment, perhaps Flynn still boasts some untapped potential.

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