*Photo from MLive.com*
Searching for bullpen help, they found an all star. The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired LHP Gregory Soto and IF Kody Clemens from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for IF/OF Nick Maton, OF/1B Matt Vierling, and C Donny Sands, according to both teams.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said of getting Soto that "He was thrilled to join us. I think when people look at our ballclub now, and they look at the arms that we have out there, they're happy to contribute at the back end. He's going to pitch meaningful innings in meaningful games."
Soto has made two straight all star games with a pair of strong seasons as the Tigers closer. His 98.7 mile an hour fastball is the second fastest among qualified left handed pitchers, trailing only new teammate Jose Alvarado. Soto isn't scheduled to hit free agency until after the 2025 season.
Pitching for the paltry Tigers, Soto put up strong numbers in 2022. He ended the year with a 3.28 ERA, 3.59 FIP, and 1.38 WHIP, racking up 30 saves while appearing in 64 games, throwing a total of 60 1/3 innings for the Tigers, earning a selection to the All Star Game.
Soto will add another high leverage arm to a Phillies bullpen that ranked 18th in the majors with a 3.97 ERA during the regular season. In the postseason, leaning more on their best relievers, the Phillies bullpen posted a 2.62 ERA in 68 2/3 total innings.
Dombrowski said of the trade that "We like the players we gave up. It was not easy for us; they all contributed last year, particularly Vierling and Maton. But we just felt the opportunity to add another back-end arm that we really, really like, that we also have control over for at least three years, that it was a deal that would help make us better going into the season."
Clemens is the other part of the return for the Phillies, coming off his debut season in the majors with the Tigers. Clemens posted a .145 batting average, .197 on base percentage, and .308 slugging percentage, hitting 5 home runs with 17 RBI's in 56 games of major league action last season.
One piece of the return for the Tigers is Maton, who has mainly played second base and shortstop, with a little experience in the outfield. Maton ended 2022 with a .250 batting average and .855 OPS, also having 5 home runs and 17 RBI's, playing in 34 games.
Vierling is the most established big league piece going to the Tigers, coming off his first full season in the majors. He recorded a .246 batting average and .297 on base percentage, hitting 6 home runs with 32 RBI's in 117 games for the Phillies, posting a .648 OPS.
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris said of Vierling that "He has a track record of controlling the strike zone. He can play everywhere on the diamond, and he’s already performed at a high level in the big leagues. We also think that he brings some athleticism, versatility and speed that can really enhance our overall offensive unit in 2023."
Sands is the final piece of the return, making 4 plate appearances in a small major league sample at the end of 2022. In 60 games in the minors last season, Sands posted a .308 batting average and .852 OPS, hitting 6 home runs with 36 RBI's across action in Low A and Triple A.
Harris said of the return package that "You’re never entirely confident that young players are going to hit in the big leagues, but you’re a little more confident when you see flashes of them performing in the big leagues already. And with Nick and Matt, we’ve already seen that in the big leagues. With Donny, he’s performed at a really high level in Triple-A with the bat."
Soto joins a high leverage group that includes Alvarado, Seranthony Dominguez, Matt Strahm, and Craig Kimbrel, while Clemens becomes depth in the infield. Maton and Vierling will likely have spots on the big league roster, while Sands will compete with Eric Haase and Jake Rogers for time at catcher.
Comments
Post a Comment