JEFFREY PASSANTINO, RIGHT HANDED PITCHER
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Born: September 24, 1995 Height: 5’9″ Weight: 225 Bats: Right Throws: Right Drafted: 40th round, 1215th overall pick, 2017 (Cubs) How Acquired: Rule 5 Draft, minor league phase (from Cubs) College: Lipscomb University Agent: N/A |
WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE |
Passantino was the last player selected in the 2017 draft. He probably caught some notice by striking out 95 and walking just nine that year at Lipscomb. He doesn’t throw hard, reaching only the upper-80s, but has a good slider and also throws a curve. In the minors, he’s walked very few hitters while usually having good K rates. He’s alternated between starting and relieving. The Pirates selected him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft.
2017 Passantino didn’t have an overwhelming debut as a college draftee in rookie ball. Opponents batted .333 against him, but he walked very few and missed some bats. 2018 The Cubs sent Passantino to low A at the beginning of June, then moved him down to short season ball then back up to low A. He made four starts and four relief appearances at each level. The results were solid rather than dominant, helped by very low walk rates. In low A, he had trouble with gopher balls, allowing one every six innings. 2019 The Cubs sent Passantino back to low A for the first half of the season and he pitched in relief. Starting in mid-June, though, he moved around through the other three full-season levels, starting in every appearance but one. He again didn’t dominate — opponents for the year batted .251 against him. and he had some gopher ball problems in low A, again allowing one every six innings. He rarely walked anybody, though, and had good K rates. 2020 The Cubs didn’t add Passantino to their 40-man roster at any point in the pandemic season and the Pirates selected him in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft. 2021 Except for missing a month in the middle of the season after turning an ankle, Passantino spent the year with Altoona. He started 15 of his 18 games, effectively serving as an innings-eater. He was solid for most of the year, struggling just in August after he returned from the injury; he had a 6.17 ERA that month. He had some trouble with gopher balls, allowing 13, but five of them came in one forgettable start. He had a reverse platoon split. 2022 Passantino was out at the start of the season with an unknown injury. He began a rehab in June and returned to Altoona late in the month. He mostly pitched in relief. His numbers with the Curve were just decent, but they were inflated by a rough first month. He had a 3.47 ERA over the final two months. Passantino won’t be eligible for minor league free agency for another year. |
CONTRACT INFORMATION
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2023: Minor League Salary |
PLAYER INFORMATION
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Signing Bonus: N/A MiLB Debut: 2017 MLB Debut: N/A MiLB FA Eligible: 2023 MLB FA Eligible: N/A Rule 5 Eligible: Eligible Added to 40-Man: N/A Options Remaining: 3 MLB Service Time: 0.000 |
TRANSACTIONS
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June 14, 2017: Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 40th round, 1215th overall; signed on June 27. December 10, 2020: Selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates from the Chicago Cubs in the minor league phase of the Rule 5 Draft. |