NEW
BRITAIN—The New Britain Bees today announced the
signings of pitcher Christian Friedrich and outfielder Bijan Rademacher.Christian Friedrich heads to New Britain for his 11th year of professional baseball and first in the Atlantic League. The former big leaguer last pitched in 2017 as a member of the San Diego Padres organization, splitting time between Triple-A El Paso, Double-A San Antonio, and Single-A Lake Elsinore.
The 31-year-old was originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the first round (25th overall) of the 2008 MLB amateur draft. After five impressive seasons with the Rockies organization, he made his Major League debut with Colorado in 2012 at the age of 24. The lefthander would spend three campaigns in the big leagues with the Rockies, before heading over to the Padres in 2016, which would be his final season in The Show. In four Major League seasons, he has appeared in 124 games (42 starts) and collected 10 wins with 246 strikeouts in 296.2 innings of work.
Over the course of 122 career minor league appearances (108 starts), Christian has recorded 21 wins with a 4.61 ERA and 553 strikeouts in 562.0 innings pitched.
Bijan Rademacher joins the Bees for his first season in the Atlantic League and eighth of professional baseball. Last year he spent time with Triple-A Iowa of the Chicago Cubs organization, appearing in 114 games and posting a .251 batting average with 16 extra base hits, 31 RBI, and 26 runs scored.
The 27-year-old was originally drafted by the Cubs in the 13th round of the 2012 MLB amateur draft. He spent his entire professional career with Chicago, reaching as high at the Triple-A level from 2016-18. Rademacher posted a career year in 2016, splitting time between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa, recording a combined .307 batting average with 22 doubles, 10 home runs, 44 RBI, 53 runs scored, and a .385 on-base percentage.
In 702 career minor league games, Bijan owns a .280 batting average with 122 doubles, 39 home runs, 282 RBI, and 305 runs scored.
“Our roster has been coming along nicely this offseason, and these two players help round it out even more,” says Bees General Manager Brad Smith. “Christian has extensive Major League experience and will be a great asset to our pitching staff, while Bijan adds a consistent left-handed bat to our lineup.”
About the Bees
The New Britain Bees are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball, widely recognized as the leading independent (i.e. unaffiliated) circuit in minor league baseball. With eight teams in the Mid-Atlantic region (including Connecticut and Long Island) and Texas, the ALPB is a leader in baseball innovation and a player gateway to Major League Baseball.
Through its exclusive partnership with MLB, the Atlantic League tests Major League Baseball rules and equipment initiatives. The Atlantic League has sent over 900 players to MLB organizations while drawing more than 40 million fans to its affordable, family-friendly ballparks throughout its 22-year history. For more information, please visit www.AtlanticLeague.com
—Staff Reports
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