You can add righthander Rocky Cherry’s name to the list of veteran pitchers who may call the McCoy Stadium bullpen home in 2009.
Picked up earlier this months as a minor league free agent after being released by the Orioles, the 29 year-old Cherry will begin his seventh professional baseball season with the PawSox. Cherry has a 40 game Major League resume, with the Orioles and Cubs. In that span he has a record of 1-4 with a 5.77 ERA.
Originally signed by the Cubs after being selected in the 14th round of the 2002 draft, Cherry began his career as a starter but was moved to the bullpen in the 2006 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.
Cherry is one of those pitchers with solid minor league numbers who could not carry that success up to the Majors. He has a creer minor league record of 14-13 with a respectable 3.73 ERA. Last year at Norfolk Cherry was 0-1 aith a 2.89 ERA.
Scouts put Cherry’s fastball at the low to mid 90mph range with a plus slider. He has had command issues in the past, but last year only yielded 9 walks in 37.1 innings witt the Tides.
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