Jeff Stevens - Professional Career

Professional Career

Stevens made his professional debut with the Billings Mustangs in 2005, going 4-4 with a 2.98 ERA.

Stevens started 2006 with the Single-A Dayton Dragons. He was traded to the Cleveland Indians as the player to be named later in the Brandon Phillips trade. He was assigned to Single-A Lake County Captains where he spent the remainder of the 2006 season.

In 2007, Stevens was moved to the bullpen and began the year with the Kinston Indians. He was 3-2 with a 2.31 ERA, with 37 strikeouts in 35 innings pitched for Kinston. He was promoted to Double-A Akron Aeros where he was 3-1 with a 3.17 ERA and 2 saves in 34 games.

Stevens began the 2008 campaign with the Aeros. After going 5-1 with a 2.51 ERA, he earned a promotion to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons. He was 0-2 with a 4.00 ERA when his season ended as a result of being named to the US Olympic Baseball Team to play in Beijing.

In December 2008, Stevens was traded from the Cleveland Indians to the Chicago Cubs in a deal for Mark DeRosa.

On July 10, 2009 Stevens made his Major League debut for the Chicago Cubs. Stevens had a 1-2-3 MLB debut, getting Joe Thurston, Chris Duncan and Brendan Ryan in order in the 9th inning of a 8-3 loss to the Cardinals. He was optioned back to the minor leagues on August 5, 2009 when Aaron Miles was activated from the 15-day disabled list.

He was designated for assignment by the Cubs on May 30, 2011.

Stevens signed a minor league contract with the New York Mets on January 4, 2012. Stevens spent most of the year with Triple-A Buffalo, going 1-1 with a 3.32 ERA in 34 games, finishing 12 of them, while striking out 33 in 40.2 innings.

On November 22, 2012, Stevens signed a minor league deal with the organization he started it all with, the Cincinnati Reds.