Anthony Ray Swarzak (born September 10, 1985) is an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professiona ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...

who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...

(MLB) for the

Minnesota Twins The Minnesota Twins are an American professional baseball team based in Minneapolis. The Twins compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central Division. The team is named after the Twin Cities area w ...

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major lea ...

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division. The team joined the American League as an expansion ...

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East division. The Braves were founded in ...

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The ...

, and

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

. He has also played in the

KBO League The KBO League (), officially the Shinhan Bank SOL KBO League, is the highest level league of baseball in South Korea. The KBO League was founded with six franchises in 1982 and is the most popular sports league in South Korea. The Kia Tigers ar ...

(KBO) for the Doosan Bears.

Amateur career

Swarzak attended

Nova High School Nova High School is a public high school located in Davie, Florida and is part of the Broward County Public Schools district. It is one of four schools that comprise the Nova Center for Applied Research and Professional Development, the others ...

Davie, Florida Davie is a town in Broward County, Florida, United States, approximately north of Miami. The town's population was 110,320 at the 2020 census. Davie is a principal town of the Miami metropolitan area, which was home to an estimated 6,198,782. ...

. As a sophomore, Swarzak pitched to an 11–1

win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of match ...

with a 1.16

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the numb ...

and 120

strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is den ...

s and was named to the All-County team and second team All-State. In 2003, he finished 14–1 with 142 strikeouts. In his senior season, in which he went 14–2, with 147 strikeouts, Swarzak was named to the 2004 All-County and Class 5A All-State teams. He had committed to attend

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 n ...

(LSU) to play

college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. In comparison to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a smaller role in developing professional pl ...

for the

LSU Tigers The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...

, but instead chose to sign with the Twins on June 22, 2004, for a $575,000 bonus.

Professional career

Minnesota Twins

The

selected Swarzak in the second round, with the 61st overall selection, in the 2004 Major League Baseball draft. Swarzak was #15 on the ''

Baseball America ''Baseball America'' is a sports enterprise that covers baseball at every level, including MLB, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in the MiLB, college, high school, and international leagues. It is currently published in the form o ...

'' Top

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the l ...

Prospects list in 2004. He was

Midwest League The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganiza ...

Pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or dr ...

of the Week (from May 16–22, 2005), the Twins' Pitcher of the Month (May 2005), Midwest League All-Star, and #8 on the ''Baseball America'' Top

Prospects list in 2005. In 2006, he was

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A followi ...

Pitcher of the Week (from August 7–14, 2006) and a FSL Post-Season All-Star. Swarzak was one of the top rated prospects in the Twins' farm system before a fifty-game suspension for violation of Minor League drug policy on April 20, 2007 sidetracked his career. He tested positive for

marijuana Cannabis, also known as marijuana among other names, is a psychoactive drug from the cannabis plant. Native to Central or South Asia, the cannabis plant has been used as a drug for both recreational and entheogenic purposes and in various t ...

. After having started the season with the Double A

New Britain Rock Cats The New Britain Rock Cats were a minor league baseball team that competed in the Eastern League. They were the Double-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox for 12 years, the Minnesota Twins for 20 years and the Colorado Rockies for one. They played ...

, upon his reinstatement from the restricted list on June 11, he was reassigned to the Class A Advanced Fort Myers Miracle. After three games with Fort Myers, he returned to New Britain. He began the 2008 season with the Rock Cats, and went 3–8 with a 5.67

. After a promotion to Triple-A, his record actually improved to 5–0 with a 1.80 ERA in seven starts. He was added to the Twins' 40 man roster, and spent his first spring with the Twins in 2009. Following

Spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives estab ...

, he was reassigned to Rochester. Swarzak suffered from a lack of run support in Rochester to start the season. Despite an ERA of 1.59 in his first three starts, his record stood at 0–3. His record improved to 3–4 with a 2.25 ERA when he got the call to the majors on May 20. He filled in the starting rotation for the injured left-handed starter Glen Perkins. Swarzak made his major league debut for the Twins on May 23, 2009 in a home game against the

. He pitched seven shutout innings, giving up five hits and two walks while striking out three. The Twins won the game 6–2, earning Swarzak his first major league win. Anthony Swarzak on April 10, 2015

After a line drive broke his foot, Swarzak's 2010 season was statistically awful as he spent the whole year in the minors. His ERA finished at 6.21 in AAA Rochester. Swarzak rebounded in 2011, contributing both in long relief and in spot starts for the Twins. He pitched a total of 102 innings, going 4–7 in 27 games. In 2012, Swarzak started five games for the Twins while making 39 appearances out of the bullpen, pitching to a collective 96 innings of work. Swarzak began 2013 on the disabled list with fractured left ribs he suffered while "wrestling around a little bit." He was activated on April 7 and used primarily as a long reliever for the rest of the season. In 48 games, he went 3–2 with a 2.91 ERA, striking out 69 in 96 innings. 20170718 Dodgers-WhiteSox Anthony Swarzak (2)

20170718 Dodgers-WhiteSox Anthony Swarzak (2)

On November 25, 2014 the Twins announced that Swarzak had been outrighted off the 40-man roster and elected free agency.

Cleveland Indians

On January 15, 2015, Swarzak signed a minor league contract with the

that included an invitation to Spring Training. On April 5, 2015, Swarzak was selected to the 40-man roster. On May 9, 2015, Swarzak was designated for assignment by the Indians after Bruce Chen was added to the roster. On June 16, 2015, Swarzak was released by the Indians.

Doosan Bears

On June 16, 2015, Swarzak signed with the Doosan Bears of the

Korea Baseball Organization The Korea Baseball Organization (KBO; ko, 한국야구위원회) is the governing body for the professional leagues of baseball in South Korea. The KBO was founded in 1981 and has governed two leagues: the KBO League ( ko, KBO 리그) and K ...

. Swarzak filled the foreign player roster spot formerly held by Yunesky Maya. He worked mainly as a starting pitcher in Korea and added a slider to his arsenal of pitches.

New York Yankees

Swarzak signed a minor league contract with the

on February 5, 2016. He began the 2016 season with the Triple-A

Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders (often abbreviated to SWB RailRiders) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees. They are located in Moosic, Pennsylvania, in the ...

, and was promoted to the major leagues on June 7. At the end of the season, Swarzak elected free agency over an assignment to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Chicago White Sox

On January 23, 2017, Swarzak signed a minor league contract with the

Milwaukee Brewers

On July 25, 2017, Swarzak was traded by the Chicago White Sox to the Milwaukee Brewers for

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

Ryan Cordell Ryan Thomas Cordell (born March 31, 1992) is an American professional baseball outfielder who is a free agent. He previously played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago White Sox and New York Mets. Career Cordell attended Valley Christi ...

New York Mets

Swarzak signed a two-year contract with the

on December 15, 2017 worth over $14 million. On April 3, the Mets placed Swarzak on the disabled list with an

oblique strain The abdominal external oblique muscle (also external oblique muscle, or exterior oblique) is the largest and outermost of the three flat abdominal muscles of the lateral anterior abdomen. Structure The external oblique is situated on the latera ...

and recalled Hansel Robles. Swarzak was activated from the disabled list on June 5 after appearing in three rehab games with the Triple-A Las Vegas 51s.

Seattle Mariners

On December 3, 2018, the Mets traded Swarzak, Jay Bruce,

Jarred Kelenic Jarred Robert Kelenic ( ; born July 16, 1999) is an American professional baseball outfielder for the Seattle Mariners of Major League Baseball (MLB). Kelenic was drafted in the first round of the 2018 MLB draft by the New York Mets and was trade ...

, Gerson Bautista, and Justin Dunn to the

for

Edwin Díaz Edwin Orlando Díaz Laboy (born March 22, 1994) is a Puerto Rican professional baseball pitcher for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for the Seattle Mariners. Within two months of his MLB debut, Díaz brok ...

Robinson Canó Robinson José Canó Mercedes (; born October 22, 1982) is a Dominican-American professional baseball second baseman who is currently a free agent. He previously played in MLB for the New York Yankees, Seattle Mariners, New York Mets, San ...

, and $20 million. Swarzak missed spring training in 2019, as he was placed on the injured list in March 2019. Swarzak returned to the active roster on April 2, 2019.

Atlanta Braves

On May 20, 2019, Swarzak was traded to the

in exchange for

Arodys Vizcaíno Arodys Vizcaíno (born November 13, 1990) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher in the Kansas City Royals organization. He has previously played in MLB for the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs. Originally signed by the New York Yankees ...

and Jesse Biddle. He became a free agent following the 2019 season.

Philadelphia Phillies

On February 4, 2020, Swarzak signed a Minor League contract with the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

. He was released on July 20, 2020.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On March 4, 2021, Swarzak signed a minor league contract with the

organization that included an invitation to Spring Training. On April 7, 2021, Swarzak was selected to the 40-man roster to take the roster spot of fellow reliever Chris Devenski, who had been placed on the restricted list. Swarzak struggled to a 9.64 ERA in 6 games for the Diamondbacks before being designated for assignment on April 18. On April 23, Swarzak was released.

Kansas City Royals

On May 14, 2021, Swarzak signed a minor league contract with the

organization and was assigned to the Triple-A

Omaha Storm Chasers The Omaha Storm Chasers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Kansas City Royals. They are located in Papillion, Nebraska, a suburb southwest of Omaha, and play their home games at W ...

. On June 18, Swarzak was selected to the active roster and made his Royals debut the following day against the

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

, pitching for his tenth major league team. Swarzak struggled to a 9.39 ERA in 7 appearances before being designated for assignment on July 17. On July 21, Swarzak cleared waivers and elected free agency.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Swarzak, Anthony 1985 births Living people Baseball players from Fort Lauderdale, Florida American expatriate baseball players in South Korea Major League Baseball pitchers Minnesota Twins players Cleveland Indians players Doosan Bears players New York Yankees players Chicago White Sox players Milwaukee Brewers players New York Mets players Seattle Mariners players Atlanta Braves players Arizona Diamondbacks players Kansas City Royals players Gulf Coast Twins players Fort Myers Miracle players Beloit Snappers players New Britain Rock Cats players Rochester Red Wings players Phoenix Desert Dogs players Tigres de Aragua players American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders players Las Vegas 51s players Brooklyn Cyclones players Omaha Storm Chasers players