Danny Farquhar

Farquhar attended Archbishop Edward A. McCarthy High School in Southwest Ranches, Florida, where he played for the school's baseball team as a pitcher and outfielder.^[1] He batted .436 as a sophomore. As an outfielder, Farquhar was named to the All-District Second Team in 2004, his junior year.^[2] As a senior, he had a 0.89 earned run average (ERA), setting a school record.^[3]

Farquhar enrolled in college at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, where he played for the Louisiana Ragin' Cajuns baseball team, competing in the Sun Belt Conference.^[4] As a college freshman, he had a 6–1 win–loss record with four saves and a 2.17 ERA. He led the Sun Belt Conference in ERA. In 2007, as a sophomore, Farquhar went 6–3 with six saves, a 3.08 ERA and 115 strikeouts to 22 walks in 87+2⁄3 innings pitched.^[5] He was fourth in the conference in ERA and second in strikeouts. After the season, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League.^[6][7] As a junior, he had a 3–8 record with a 4.95 ERA.^[5]

The Toronto Blue Jays selected Farquhar in the tenth round, with the 309th overall selection, of the 2008 MLB draft.^[8][9] After signing with Toronto, he made his professional debut with the Auburn Doubledays of the Class A-Short Season New York–Penn League. He was promoted to the Lansing Lugnuts of the Class A Midwest League during the season. He finished 2008 with 2–2 win–loss record, 32+1⁄3 innings pitched (IP), and a 1.95 ERA. He started the 2009 season with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League and finished the season with the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Class AA Eastern League. In 2009, Farquhar had a 2–4 record, 1.87 ERA and 22 saves, in 62+2⁄3 innings pitched. He returned to the Fisher Cats in 2010, pitching to a 3.52 ERA while striking out 79 but walking 42 in 76.2 innings.^[10] He also pitched in the Arizona Fall League after the season.^[11]

The Blue Jays traded Farquhar to the Oakland Athletics along with Trystan Magnuson for outfielder Rajai Davis after the 2010 season.^[12] He threw eight innings without allowing a run for the Sacramento River Cats of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL), before the Athletics traded him to the Blue Jays in exchange for reliever David Purcey on April 18. The Blue Jays assigned him to the Las Vegas 51s of the PCL.^[13]

Farquhar made his major league debut on September 13, 2011, against the Boston Red Sox. He pitched 2⁄3 innings and allowed three earned runs on three hits, while walking two with no strikeouts. Farquhar was later optioned back to New Hampshire. On June 2, 2012, the Blue Jays designated Farquhar for assignment after claiming Chris Schwinden off waivers from the New York Mets.^[14]

On June 9, 2012, the Athletics claimed Farquhar off waivers from the Blue Jays.^[15] After making five appearances in the minor leagues for Sacramento,^{[citation needed]} the Athletics waived him to select the contract of A. J. Griffin.^[16]

The New York Yankees claimed him off waivers on June 26 and optioned him to the Trenton Thunder, shifting Brett Gardner to the 60-day disabled list.^[17][18] However, he was placed on waivers three days later, as the Yankees claimed Schwinden, who had been waived by the Cleveland Indians.^[19] He cleared waivers.

On July 23, 2012, the Yankees traded Farquhar and pitcher D. J. Mitchell to the Seattle Mariners for right fielder Ichiro Suzuki.^[20]

Farquhar started the 2013 season with the Tacoma Rainiers of the PCL. The Mariners purchased his contract, promoting him to the major leagues, on May 17.^[21] On August 2, Farquhar replaced Tom Wilhelmsen as closer, and he recorded his first major league save on August 3 against Baltimore.^[22] From that point to the end of the season, he went 0-3 with 16 saves in 24 games, striking out 29 in 22+2⁄3 innings with a 2.38 ERA. Overall on the year, he went 0–3 with a 4.20 ERA in 46 appearances, striking out 79 in 55+2⁄3 innings.

On November 5, 2015, the Mariners traded Farquhar, Brad Miller, and Logan Morrison to the Tampa Bay Rays for Nate Karns, C. J. Riefenhauser, and Boog Powell.^[23]

On April 23, 2016, Farquhar was sent down to the Durham Bulls of the Class AAA International League. He was recalled on May 14, but was designated for assignment the next day, and was back with Durham on the 16th. On June 25, Farquhar was sent back up to the Rays, on the 26th, one day later, he was sent back down to Durham, on the 27th, he was called back up to the Rays. This time Farquhar made it 8 days before his July 5 demotion back to Durham. On August 6, Farquhar was called back up to the Rays, this was his final transaction of the season.^[24] He finished the season with a 3.06 ERA in 35 games (35+1⁄3 innings) and 46 strikeouts.

Farquhar was designated for assignment on June 29, 2017.^[25] He cleared waivers and was assigned to Durham. The Rays released him on July 20.^[26]

On July 24, 2017, Farquhar signed a minor league contract with the Chicago White Sox.^[27] His contract was purchased by the White Sox on August 19, 2017.^[28] In a game on September 21, 2017, against the Houston Astros, Farquhar made a pitching appearance in the 8th inning against Astros hitter Evan Gattis. During the at bat, Farquhar noticed banging from within the Astros dugout every time the catcher called for any pitch other than a fastball. Eventually, Farquhar and catcher Kevan Smith made a mound visit because of it and afterwards Gattis was struck out after a pitch without a sign being called.^[29] This incident would become part of the investigation of the Houston Astros sign stealing scandal.

On April 20, 2018, after pitching in relief in the sixth inning in a game against the Houston Astros, Farquhar collapsed in the dugout. Witnesses saw him go into the White Sox's dugout and vomit before losing consciousness. Farquhar was carried out by ambulance and taken to Rush University Medical Center. Teammates said they were shocked because they did not "notice any signs that Farquhar might have been sick".^[30] After further testing, doctors revealed Farquhar suffered from a brain hemorrhage, which was caused from a ruptured brain aneurysm.^[31] On May 7, Farquhar was discharged from the hospital. Despite being ruled out for the rest of the 2018 season, Demetrius Klee Lopes and other doctors expected him to make a full recovery and pitch again.^[32] On June 1, he had recovered enough to throw the ceremonial first pitch for the White Sox's game against the Milwaukee Brewers.^[33] On October 26, Farquhar was removed from the 40–man roster and sent outright to Triple–A.^[34] He elected free agency following the 2018 season.

On January 21, 2019, Farquhar signed a minor league contract with the Yankees.^[35] The Yankees assigned him to the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, where he allowed seven runs in three innings pitched in two games. The Yankees released him on June 19.^[36] On August 1, on his personal Instagram account, he announced his retirement.^[37]

Farquhar was announced as pitching coach of the Winston-Salem Dash, the High–A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, for the 2020 season.^[38] He was promoted to pitching coach of the Birmingham Barons the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago White Sox for the 2023 season.^[39]

On January 10, 2024, Farquhar was hired as a "pitching strategist" and assistant pitching coach on the Seattle Mariners' Major League coaching staff.^[40]

Farquhar is married to his high school sweetheart, Alexandria Castells Farquhar, and they have one daughter and two sons. Off the field, Farquhar enjoys the game of golf. He has said that he would like to coach and teach math at the high school level one day.^[41]

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet