In the Phillies’ first move of the FanSided MLB Winter Meetings, they traded catcher Cameron Rupp to the Pirates for pitcher Steven Brault.
DISCLAIMER: The following article is a part of the FanSided MLB Winter Meetings simulation and does not reflect any real events.
The FanSided MLB Winter Meetings are underway and the Phillies are already making moves. They have agreed to trade catcher Cameron Rupp to the Pirates in exchange for left-handed pitcher Steven Brault.
With Jorge Alfaro set to be the starting catcher in 2018 with Andrew Knapp as his backup, Rupp was an expendable piece. He did well to bridge the gap between Carlos Ruiz and Alfaro, but ultimately he wasn’t the long-term answer.
The Pirates were in need of backup catcher and had some starting pitching to spare, exactly what the Phils needed. At first, they offered righty Tyler Eppler for Rupp, but the two sides ultimately agreed on a one-for-one swap for Rupp and Brault.
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Brault was originally drafted by the Orioles in the 11th round in 2013 before being traded to the Pirates prior to the 2015 season.
Brault split 2017 between Triple-A Indianapolis and the major-leagues. In 21 appearances in Triple-A, Brault had a 1.94 ERA, 3.29 fielding-independent pitching, 8.15 strikeouts per nine innings. He was named this year’s International League pitcher of the year.
In the majors, Brault worked more out of the bullpen, although he made four starts. He was shellacked in his final appearance of the year, but prior to that had a respectable 3.86 ERA.
After the 2016 season, Baseball America ranked Brault as the No. 7 prospect in the Pirates system. This is what they had to say about him:
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"The Pirates acquired Brault and fellow lefthander Stephen Tarpley in a trade with the Orioles for journeyman outfielder Travis Snider in 2015. While Snider spent 2016 in the minors, Brault made his major league debut with the Pirates. It was the culmination of a stunning ascent for Brault, who three years earlier was majoring in music performance as an aspiring singer and just playing baseball on the side at the Division II level. Brault does not have a wipeout pitch. He succeeds by mixing three offerings and throwing them all for strikes with a deceptive, athletic delivery that features a low three-quarters arm slot.His fastball sits 87-90 mph and touches 92 with good sinking action. Some scouts give both his secondary pitches above-average grades. After throwing two breaking pitches earlier in his career, Brault now throws only a slider, and the pitch continues to improve along with an at-times plus changeup, which is becoming a better pitch against righthanders. An above-average athlete, Brault got hit in his first shot at the majors but attributed much of that to nerves. He also was uncharacteristically wild in 2016. Brault has a shot to win a rotation spot in 2017 out of spring training. While his stuff is ordinary, he has the smarts to eventually become a reliable back-end starter."
By trading Rupp, it helps clear up the catching situation and leaves Alfaro and Knapp time to develop in the majors. In the process, the Phillies pick up another option for the rotation, something they desperately needed.
Next: What should the Phillies do at catcher in 2018?
What other moves will the Phils make at the winter meetings? Keep checking back here to find out.