Phillies Sign Six to Minor League Deals Including South Jersey’s Joe Gatto

By Michael Lipinski, Sports Talk Philly Contributor

The Phillies have signed six players to minor league deals, the club announced on Monday.  Cam Bedrosian, Andrew Bellatti, Jake Newberry, Joe Gatto (not the comedian), Tyler Cyr, and Michael Kelly have signed minor league contracts with an invitation to Spring Training.  All six are right handed pitchers.

Bedrosian, Bellatti, and Newberry bring major league experience to the table.


Bedrosian split 2021 between Cincinnati, Oakland, and the Phillies. He registered a 5.04 ERA and a 1.706 WHIP in 26 total games.  Bedrosian pitched 10.1 innings, including one start, for the Phillies down the stretch posting a 4.35 ERA and 1.452 WHIP.  The former prospect is best known for being the son of former Phillies closer Steve Bedrosian. 

Bellatti can best be described as a 30-year old journeyman pitcher.  He pitched three games for the Miami Marlins in 2021 with a 13.45 ERA and 2.400 WHIP.  Prior to 2021, his last big league appearance was with Tampa in 2015.  Bellatti appeared in 17-games with a 2.31 ERA, 1.114 WHIP, and 23.1 innings pitched for Tampa.  He played various independent baseball in between big league stints.

Newberry spent the past four-seasons with the Kansas City Royals pitching to a 4-0 record with a 4.84 ERA, 1.585 WHIP, over 70.2 innings.  His most productive season was 2019, he posted a 3.77 ERA, 1.452 WHIP, in 31-innings. Newberry became a free agent after being outrighted off the Royals 40-man roster at the end of 2021.

Gatto, Cyr, and Kelly are career minor leaguers and have yet to appear in the majors.

Gatto appears to have the most upside of the trio, the 26-year-old spent 2021 with the Rangers Double-A and Triple-A teams.  He posted a 5-3 record with a 3.32 ERA, 1.089 WHIP, in 35 innings pitched.  Gatto is a native of Hammonton, NJ and pitched for St. Augustine Prep in high school.  He was a 2nd round pick of the Angels in the 2014 MLB June Amateur Player draft.

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