A’s sign lefty Ben Bowden According to the trade tracker on Bowden’s MLB.com profile page, the deal is a minor league deal.
Bowden, 30, was a second-round pick of the Rockies in the 2016 draft. The left-hander had been a pure reliever during his time in the SEC but missed 2017 due to a shoulder injury, but once he got on the field, he quickly rose through the club’s minor league system. He dominated Double-A with a 1.05 ERA and 46.2% strikeout rate in 26 games, reaching Triple-A by the end of his second full pro season. The cancellation of the 2020 minor league season further delayed Bowden’s promotion to the majors, but he was promoted to the majors after going 11 2/3 scoreless in 2021 at the Triple-A level.
Unfortunately, Bowden struggled in the major leagues. His 23.7% strikeout rate was a far cry from his gaudy numbers in the minor leagues, and his 11.9% walk rate was nowhere near what was expected. Overall, Bowden posted a 6.56 ERA in 35 2/3 innings with the Rockies as a rookie. His 4.85 FIP suggests he’s pitching better than his grades suggest, but even this more charitable number is below league average. It’s also hard to blame Bowden’s performance on his offensively bloated home base, considering he had a 6.19 ERA out of Coors Field.
Those dismal results led the Rockies to drop Bowden from the 2022 Opening Day roster. The Rockies decided to waive the left-hander with high hopes. Instead, Bowden found himself claimed off waivers by the Rays, who themselves later removed him from the 40-man roster. The lefty fared well in Tampa, although he didn’t make it to the majors with the club. In 22 innings with the Rays in Triple-A, Bowden pitched to a 2.45 ERA and a 24.7% strikeout rate, although his walk rate was 14.4%, which wasn’t even close. Tampa ultimately flipped Bowden to the Giants in a minor deal before the 2022 trade deadline, though Bowden struggled to return to the Pacific Coast League and opted to become a free agent at season’s end.
Since becoming a free agent in the 2022-23 offseason, Bowden has pitched in Triple-A for the Phillies and Braves but has not made any club’s major league roster. Over the past two seasons, he has struck out 30.4 percent of the time in 81 1/3 innings, but posted an ERA over 4.00 in both seasons. Now, he hopes to return to the majors with the Athletics, who have a much smaller bullpen than the 2023 Phillies or 2024 Braves, though in order to do that, he’ll likely need to move beyond his long-term, The PCL’s offensive landscape continues to struggle.
