Arizona has released Brad Bergesen ahead of tonight’s non-tender deadline, making the right-hander a free agent.
Bergesen had been arbitration eligible for a second time after earning $800,000 in 2012, but after three straight seasons with 100-plus innings for the Orioles he tossed just 30 innings for the Diamondbacks and spent most of the season at Triple-A.
He’s a 27-year-old with a 4.61 ERA in 424 career innings split between the bullpen and rotation, but that includes one of the worst strikeout rates around and Bergesen didn’t pitch well in the minors this year.
UPDATE: Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com says the Diamondbacks released Bergesen so he could sign with a Japanese team.