Brett Oberholtzer DFA’d by the Phillies to Make Room for Jake Thompson
Surprising move made as Jake Thompson arrives
Phillies general manager Matt Klentak needed to open a roster spot as top pitching prospect Jake Thompson was set to make his major league debut Saturday evening.
Brett Oberholtzer, the veteran pitcher acquired in the Ken Giles trade over the offseason, was notified he would be designated for assignment in order to have Thompson on the 25-man roster.
Oberholtzer was the lone left-hander on the Phillies 25-man roster prior to being designated for assignment. The roster is now void of southpaws for the foreseeable future.
#Phillies have designated LHP Brett Oberholtzer for assignment and selected the contract of RHP Jake Thompson from Lehigh Valley (AAA).
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) August 6, 2016
Oberholtzer competed with Vincent Velasquez for a spot in the starting rotation during spring training, but ultimately ended up in the bullpen. He became the teams’ long-man and pitched effectively in tough situations.
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In 26 games out of the bullpen for the Phillies, Brett Oberholtzer was 2-2 with a 4.83 era. He managed 38 strikeouts in 50.1 innings, but gave up 58 hits, 11 of which were home runs.
Despite some lopsided numbers, Brett Oberholtzer was one of the best relievers on the roster late in the season. After a rough start to the season, Oberholtzer settled down in his new role in the bullpen, and allowed only 16 runs since the month of May.
Teams now have the option to claim the 27-year-old, with the worst team in the league having priority. The Phillies can either send him to the minors if he is not claimed, or grant him his outright release.
Another minor move completed by the Phillies was officially releasing relief pitcher Andrew Bailey after he cleared waivers Saturday.