WTM’s PLAYER PROFILE

2010
R:  0-1-0, 4.32 ERA, 1.68 WHIP, 8.1 IP, 7.6 BB/9, 8.6 K/9

Brice debuted just briefly and had control problems.

2011
R:  6-0-0, 2.96 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 48.2 IP, 6.1 BB/9, 10.2 K/9

The Marlins sent Brice back to rookie ball and, pitching mostly as a starter, he had a strong season apart from a high walk rate.  Opponents batted .189 against him.  After the season Baseball America rated him the Marlins’ 12th best prospect.

2012
A:  8-6-3, 4.35 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 109.2 IP, 5.6 BB/9, 10.0 K/9

In full season ball, still pitching mostly as a starter, Brice got hit harder and continued to have trouble with walks.  BA ranked him 16th in the system.

2013
A:  8-11-0, 5.73 ERA, 1.77 WHIP, 113.0 IP, 6.5 BB/9, 8.8 K/9

The Marlins sent Brice back to Low A, where he made 25 starts.  He had a rough season, as the walks increased and he got hit harder.  BA dropped him to 27th in the system.

2014
A+:  8-9-0, 3.60 ERA, 1.33 WHIP, 127.1 IP, 3.9 BB/9, 7.7 K/9

Brice made some progress in High A, although he moved to the pitcher-friendly Florida State League.  His K rate wasn’t impressive, but he cut the walks substantially.  BA ranked him 29th in the system.

2015
AA:  6-9-0, 4.67 ERA, 1.46 WHIP, 125.1 IP, 5.0 BB/9, 9.1 K/9

In AA, still pitching as a starter, Brice made progress in some areas and stepped back in others.  Both his walk and K rates increased.  For some reason, BA rated him 14th among Marlins’ prospects.  Miami added Brice to its 40-man roster after the season.

2016
AA:  4-7-2, 2.89 ERA, 1.16 WHIP, 93.1 IP, 2.8 BB/9, 7.6 K/9
AAA:  0-0-2, 1.04 ERA, 0.46 WHIP, 8.2 IP, 1.0 BB/9, 10.4 K/9
MLB:  0-1-0, 7.07 ERA, 1.00 WHIP, 14.0 IP, 3.2 BB/9, 9.0 K/9

Back in AA, Brice moved to relief around mid-season and the move helped.  His walk and K rates improved after the move, and he allowed fewer hits.  He made five strong appearances in AAA and also made his major league debut.  The latter was better than the ERA suggests, as more than two-thirds of the runners who reached against him came around to score.  During the off-season, Miami traded Brice to the Reds.

2017
AA:  1-0-0, 0.00 ERA, 0.67 WHIP, 3.0 IP, 3.0 BB/9, 9.0 K/9
AAA:  1-2-1, 3.80 ERA, 1.50 WHIP, 21.1 IP, 3.8 BB/9, 8.9 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 4.96 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 32.2 IP, 1.9 BB/9, 7.2 K/9

Brice started the season in AA, then moved to AAA after three outings and to the majors after another six.  The Reds sent Brice back to AAA for most of July, then called him up in early August.  In mid-August, though, he went out for season with a strained lat.  He didn’t pitch all that well in AAA.  In the majors he mostly pitched better, especially with his walk rate, but he had gopher ball problems, allowing nearly one every five innings.

2018
AAA:  3-1-1, 2.31 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 23.1 IP, 2.7 BB/9, 9.3 K/9
MLB:  2-3-0, 5.79 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 37.1 IP, 3.1 BB/9, 7.7 K/9

Brice opened the season in Cincinnati, but after a rough stretch in May and early June, went back to AAA.  The Reds called him up three different times afterward, but not after the AAA season ended in September.  He pitched well in AAA but struggled in the majors.  Home runs were a problem, as he gave up nearly one every four innings.

2019
A+:  0-0-0, 1.59 ERA, 0.53 WHIP, 5.2 IP, 0.0 BB/9, 14.3 K/9
MLB:  1-0-0, 3.43 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 44.2 IP, 3.6 BB/9, 9.3 K/9

Brice had a hectic off-season, being claimed off waivers by the Angels, Orioles and his original team, the Marlins.  With them, he turned in easily his best major league season, when it wasn’t being interrupted.  He missed some time early in the season due to illness, then missed much of the second half with flexor and forearm strains.  When he pitched he had a good K rate and decent walk rate.  He did have trouble with home runs, giving up seven.

2020
MLB:  1-0-0, 5.95 ERA, 1.53 WHIP, 19.2 IP, 5.9 BB/9, 11.4 K/9

Before the season, Miami traded Brice to Boston.  He pitched in the majors during the pandemic season and had a tough time, mainly due to walks.

2021
AAA:  3-0-2, 3.27 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 33.0 IP, 3.8 BB/9, 9.3 K/9
MLB:  0-0-0, 6.59 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 13.2 IP, 4.6 BB/9, 7.9 K/9

Brice opened the season with Boston, but after several rough outings the Red Sox outrighted him to AAA.  He was called back up in July, but made only one appearance before being outrighted again.  He pitched only sparingly the rest of the season and elected free agency afterward.

Brice should serve as AAA bullpen depth for the Pirates.

UPDATE:  The Pirates called Brice up in late June.