Tell me if you’ve heard this one before:
- Rays acquire little known, widely unheralded relief pitcher.
- Said pitcher quickly plays major role in Rays major league bullpen.
When the Rays signed John Curtiss to a minor league deal prior to the 2020 season, it was a similar story. The 27 year old had pitched in small stints in parts of the last four years, but never pitching more than nine major league games in a given season.
This year, however, Curtiss has spent a substantial amount of time in the majors, used as an opener, in high leverage, as well as for multiple innings for the Rays.