Jason Berken
Age: 40
Jason Thomas Berken (born November 27, 1983) is an American professional baseball pitcher in the Toronto Blue Jays organization. He has played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago Cubs.
College
Berken graduated from West De Pere High School. He played college baseball for the Clemson Tigers. While at Clemson, he played for the New England Collegiate Baseball League's Keene Swamp Bats.
Baltimore Orioles
Berken was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in the sixth round (175th overall) of the 2006 MLB draft. On May 26, 2009, after pitching just 252⁄3 innings for Triple-A Norfolk, he was called up to the Orioles' roster to replace injured outfielder Lou Montanez. He earned his first major league win that day, giving up two runs in five innings in a 7-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. However, he finished the year with a 6-12 record, along with a 6.54 ERA in 1192⁄3 innings pitched. This led to Berken being named the AL Les Sweetland award winner by SI writer Joe Posnanski for finishing the year as the worst starting pitcher in the American League.
Chicago Cubs
On September 7, 2012, Berken was claimed off waivers by the Cubs.
Chicago White Sox
He later signed as a minor league free agent with the Chicago White Sox for 2013.
San Francisco Giants
On November 15, 2013, Berken signed a minor league contract with the San Francisco Giants. On March 31, 2014 he was assigned to the Triple-A Fresno Grizzlies.
Philadelphia Phillies
On February 24, 2015, Berken signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. On March 2, 2015 he was assigned to the Triple-A Lehigh Valley IronPigs. He elected free agency on November 6.
Toronto Blue Jays
On February 17, 2016, Berken signed a minor league contract with the Toronto Blue Jays.