The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
Bridgewater, NJ – The Somerset Patriots have announced the signing of right-handed pitcher Evan Meek.
Meek enters his first season with the Somerset Patriots and first in the Atlantic League. The righty comes to Bridgewater with six seasons of service at the Major League level, including five with the Pittsburgh Pirates (2008-2012) and most recently with the Baltimore Orioles (2014).
The Bellevue, Washington native’s best season in the big leagues came with the Pirates in 2010. That year, Meek went 5-4 over 70 relief appearances with a 2.14 ERA, 70 strikeouts and four saves. He was named to the National League All-Star team as the lone representative of the Pirates that season. At the time of his selection on July 4th, Meek held a 4-2 record and led all National League relievers with a 0.96 ERA.
Meek has earned seven wins along with a career 3.63 ERA, four saves and 160 strikeouts over 179 relief appearances in the majors.
“We are very excited to have the addition of another veteran presence in the back-end of our bullpen,” said manager Brett Jodie. “Evan has been very successful at all levels in baseball and will play a large role in helping this team be successful. We are happy to have him come in and help our team win.”
The former Major League All-Star split time last year between Triple-A Syracuse (Washington Nationals) and the Kia Tigers in the Korean Baseball Organization. He tallied a 2.15 ERA over 30 appearances with Syracuse before earning four wins in 16 games (one start) with Kia.
Originally an 11th-round draft pick by the Minnesota Twins, Meek has also played in the San Diego Padres, then-Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Texas Rangers organization. He owns a 30-28 record over 12 seasons in the minors with a 4.05 ERA and 34 saves in 300 career appearances (55 starts).
The 2016 Somerset Patriots Season Presented By Ford is underway. For more information or to purchase tickets for the 2016 season, stop by TD Bank Ballpark, call (908) 252-0700, or visit www.somersetpatriots.com.
About the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 34 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 800 players and 50 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment to metropolitan markets serving nearly 15% of the US population.
For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com.
