August 3, 2023
By Kevin Glew
Cooperstowners in Canada
Less than a week after inking a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves, Rowan Wick (North Vancouver, B.C.) has departed to sign with the Toronto Blue Jays.
The signing appeared on the Minor League Baseball transactions page yesterday.
Wick had been assigned to the Braves’ triple-A affiliate in Gwinnett on July 27 but did not appear in a game with them before leaving for a minor league deal with the Blue Jays. The 30-year-old right-hander will report to the triple-A Buffalo Bisons.
Wick has now been in three different major league organizations in less than three weeks. He was released by the Chicago Cubs on July 15.
After parts of four seasons as an effective reliever with the Cubs, Wick failed to crack the big league team’s roster out of spring training in March and struggled to an 8.60 ERA in 23 appearances with triple-A Iowa.
In 2022, the Canuck righty enjoyed his first full major league campaign with the Cubs after overcoming a serious oblique injury that sidelined him for the majority of 2021. Last season, Wick topped all Canadian big-league pitchers with 64 appearances and posted a 4.22 ERA, while striking out 69 in 64 innings.
The Cubs signed the Junior National Team alum to a one-year, $1.55-million contract prior to this season.
The St. Louis Cardinals originally selected Wick as a catcher in the ninth round of the 2012 MLB draft. While he was learning how to catch at the professional level, he batted a combined .292 with 20 home runs in 74 games between low-A and class-A in 2014 before he was converted into a pitcher in 2015.
On February 16, 2018, Wick was claimed off waivers from the Cardinals by the San Diego Padres. He’d make his major league debut with the Padres in 2018 and post a 6.48 ERA in 10 appearances.
Wick will now join fellow Canadian right-hander Zach Pop (Brampton, Ont.) on the triple-A Buffalo Bisons’ pitching staff.
Thanks for the update. I wish Rowan good luck.
Thanks for your comment.
Thanks for the update!.
Thanks for reading and your continued support.
Can’t wait for Wick to team up with Romano and Pop and we have 3 Canadians in the bullpen!
That would be awesome. Thanks, Scott.
Great news to see Wick playing in Canada. Have a successful rebirth with the Blue Jays.
Great to hear from you, Murray. Thanks for reading the article. Sincerely, Kevin Glew
IF HE CAN GET HIMSELF CENTERED AWAY WITH BISONS ROWAN MIGHT VERY WELL BE A GOOD ASSET AS SEASON DRAWS DOWN AT PLAYOFFS TIME IF BLUE JAYS ARE THERE – HE CAN PITCH !!!