Kyle Bird

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name = Kyle Bird

|image = File:Kyle Bird.jpg

|image_size = 250px

|caption = Bird with the Charlotte Stone Crabs in 2016

|position = Relief pitcher

|birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|4|12}}

|birth_place = Orange Park, Florida, U.S.

|bats = Left

|throws = Left

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate = March 28

|debutyear = 2019

|debutteam = Texas Rangers

|debut2league= NPB

|debut2date = June 14

|debut2year = 2021

|debut2team = Hiroshima Toyo Carp

| finalleague = MLB

| finaldate = July 30

| finalyear = 2019

| finalteam = Texas Rangers

| final2league = NPB

| final2date = September 30

| final2year = 2021

| final2team = Hiroshima Toyo Carp

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label = Win–loss record

|stat1value = 0–0

|stat2label = Earned run average

|stat2value = 7.82

|stat3label = Strikeouts

|stat3value = 10

|stat2league = NPB

|stat21label = Win–loss record

|stat21value = 0–1

|stat22label = Earned run average

|stat22value = 4.11

|stat23label = Strikeouts

|stat23value = 30

|teams =

Texas Rangers ({{mlby|2019}})
Hiroshima Toyo Carp ({{npby|2021}})

}}

Ronald Kyle Bird (born April 12, 1993) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Texas Rangers, and in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp.

Amateur career

Bird attended Clay High School in Green Cove Springs, Florida.{{cite web|url=https://www.claytodayonline.com/stories/bird-gets-call-to-rays-40-man-roster,14343|title=Bird gets call to Rays' 40-man roster|website=Clay Today|author=Randy Lefko|date=November 28, 2018|access-date=September 16, 2019}} Undrafted out of high school in 2011, Bird attended Florida State University for two years (2012 and 2013),{{cite web|url=https://seminoles.com/sports/baseball/roster/kyle-bird/ |title=Kyle Bird |website=Florida Seminoles |date=28 June 2017 |access-date=March 28, 2019}} before transferring to Division II Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, for his junior season in 2014.{{cite web|url=https://flaglerathletics.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1838|title=Kyle Bird|website=Flagler Athletics|access-date=March 28, 2019}} He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 35th round, 1,057th overall, of the 2014 MLB draft.{{cite web|url=https://www.bdtonline.com/sports/local_sports/bird-gets-his-shot-with-rays/article_eedf8143-eb91-5bcb-ac37-a3b21e45d690.html|title=Bird gets his shot with Rays|author=Tom Bone|website=Bluefield Daily Telegraph|date=June 24, 2014|access-date=September 16, 2019}}

Professional career

=Tampa Bay Rays=

After signing with Tampa Bay, Bird was assigned to the rookie–level Princeton Rays to make his professional debut in 2014. In 19 innings pitched, he posted a 1–0 record with a 4.19 earned run average (ERA). He split the 2015 season between the Single–A Bowling Green Hot Rods and the Triple–A Durham Bulls. Through 33 games (1 with Durham), he accumulated 4–0 record with a 2.54 ERA and 71 strikeouts in {{fraction|70|1|3}} innings. He played the 2016 season with both the High–A Charlotte Stone Crabs and the Double–A Montgomery Biscuits. He appeared in 68 innings across 43 games, earning a 3–2 record with a 2.28 ERA and 60 strikeouts. He split the 2017 season between Montgomery and Durham. In 54 games, he posted a 4–2 record with a 2.89 ERA and 70 strikeouts in {{fraction|74|2|3}} innings. He again played the 2018 season at both Double–A and Triple–A. He appeared in 43 games, making 6 starts, and accumulated a 3–3 record with a 2.39 ERA and 88 strikeouts across 74 innings.{{cite web|url=http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?ID=167943 |title=Kyle Bird |publisher=Baseball Cube |access-date=January 22, 2019}} After the 2018 regular season, Bird pitched for the Yaquis de Obregón of the Mexican Pacific League in winter ball.{{cite web|url=https://www.purobeisbol.mx/lmp/kyle-bird-ultimo-extranjero-de-yaquis/ |title=Kyle Bird, Último Extranjero de Yaquis |website=Puro Beisbol |date=3 October 2018 |language=es |access-date=March 28, 2019}} In 18 games with them, he went 1–0 with a 2.00 ERA and 19 strikeouts in 18 innings.

The Rays added Bird to their 40-man roster after the 2018 season.{{cite web|url=https://www.tampabay.com/blogs/rays/2018/11/20/rays-dfa-c-j-cron-in-adding-5-prospects-to-roster/|title=Rays DFA C.J. Cron in Adding 5 Prospects to Roster|date=November 20, 2018|author=Marc Topkin|website=Tampa Bay Times|access-date=December 14, 2018}}

=Texas Rangers=

On December 21, 2018, Bird was traded to the Texas Rangers as part of a three team deal in which the Rangers also acquired Brock Burke, Yoel Espinal, Eli White, and $750,000 of international signing bonus pool space; the Rays acquired Emilio Pagan, Rollie Lacy, and a competitive balance pick in the 2019 MLB draft (Seth Johnson); and the Oakland Athletics acquired Jurickson Profar.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/rangers/news/as-rays-rangers-make-three-way-trade/c-302122816|title=Rangers Deal Profar to A's in 3-Team Trade|author=T.R. Sullivan|website=MLB.com|date=December 21, 2018|access-date=December 21, 2018}}

Bird made the Rangers' 2019 Opening Day roster. On March 28, 2019, and made his major league debut that afternoon against the Chicago Cubs,walking Anthony Rizzo, the only batter he faced.{{cite web|url=https://www.lonestarball.com/2019/3/28/18285735/texas-rangers-transactions-2019-opening-day-roster-connor-sadzeck-hunter-pence-logan-forsythe|title=Texas Rangers Set Opening Day Roster, DFA Connor Sadzeck|author=Adam J. Morris|website=Lone Star Ball|publisher=SB Nation|date=March 28, 2019|access-date=March 28, 2019}} He split the season between the Rangers and the Nashville Sounds. With Texas he logged a 7.82 ERA {{frac|12|2|3}} innings, and with Nashville he went 5–1 with a 2.86 ERA in {{frac|34|2|3}} innings.

On January 15, 2020, Bird was designated for assignment by the Rangers and outrighted to Triple–A a few days later.{{Cite web|url=https://nolanwritin.com/2020/01/15/texas-rangers-jeffrey-springs-kyle-bird-dfa/|title = Texas Rangers: Jeffrey Springs, Kyle Bird Designated for Assignment|date = 15 January 2020}} Bird did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2020/06/2020-minor-league-season-will-be-canceled.html|title = 2020 Minor League Season Canceled| date=June 30, 2020 }} He became a free agent on November 2.{{Cite web|title=Full List of 2020-2021 MiLB Free Agents|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/full-list-of-2020-2021-milb-free-agents/|access-date=September 27, 2024|website=baseballamerica.com|date=November 2, 2020 |language=en}}

=Hiroshima Toyo Carp=

On November 26, 2020, it was announced that Bird had signed with the Hiroshima Toyo Carp of Nippon Professional Baseball.{{cite web |url=https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b0ee5f9fd3d895e26d29b635d3fa1a65029b2f6e |title=広島が新助っ投・バードを獲得エルドレッド駐米スカウト撮影のビデオが決め手（東スポWeb） - Yahoo!ニュース |website=news.yahoo.co.jp |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201126070510/https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/b0ee5f9fd3d895e26d29b635d3fa1a65029b2f6e |archive-date=2020-11-26}} He made his NPB debut on June 14. In 33 appearances for Hiroshima, Bird pitched to a 4.57 ERA with 21 strikeouts in {{fraction|21|2|3}} innings pitched. He became a free agent after the season.

=Seattle Mariners=

On March 8, 2022, Bird signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/player/kyle-bird-613317|title = Kyle Bird Stats, Fantasy & News|website = MLB.com}} He made 44 appearances out of the bullpen for the Triple–A Tacoma Rainiers, compiling a 6–1 record and 6.66 ERA with 50 strikeouts across {{fraction|48|2|3}} innings pitched. Bird elected free agency following the season on November 10.{{Cite web|title=2022-23 Minor League Free Agents For All 30 MLB Teams|url=https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/2022-23-minor-league-free-agents-for-all-30-mlb-teams/?amphtml|access-date=December 19, 2024|website=baseballamerica.com|date=November 13, 2022 |language=en}}