Phillies acquire RHP David Phelps from Brewers for 3 PTBNLs
By Matt Rappa
The Phillies have acquired their fourth reliever via trade, RHP David Phelps from the Brewers
The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired additional bullpen help, just minutes shy of the August 31, 4 p.m. Major League Baseball trade deadline.
After already improving their bullpen with the additions of Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree from the Boston Red Sox, and David Hale from the New York Yankees, the Phillies have added a fourth reliever through trade from the Milwaukee Brewers.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies have acquired RHP David Phelps from the National League Central Division team; MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki reports the Phillies will send the Brewers back three low-level prospects (i.e., players to be named later, following the shortened 2020 season). According to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy, those players are 19-year-old right-handers Brandon Ramey, Israel Puello, and Juan Geraldo. Phelps is expected to join the Phillies bullpen on Tuesday.
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Phelps, 33, is an eight-year veteran that began his career under Joe Girardi with the New York Yankees from 2012-14; the right-hander then appeared for the Miami Marlins (2015-17), Seattle Mariners (2017), Toronto Blue Jays (2019), Chicago Cubs (2019), and Brewers (2020).
Once the trade with the Phillies was made official, Girardi called Phelps a “fantastic competitor.” Phelps is currently in the midst of one of his best seasons to date, posting a 2.77 ERA through 12 appearances, including three games finished. The St. Louis, Missouri, native has struck out 20 of his 48 batters faced, while walking just two.
6ABC’s Jeff Skversky reports that Phelps has the lowest average exit velocity allowed among all qualified pitchers in 2020; all of his appearances have been in the seventh inning or later.
Under Girardi, Phelps went a combined 15-14 with a 4.21 Era through 87 appearances and 40 starts.
Through 281 career appearances, the former 14th round draft pick has a 34-37 record, 3.83 ERA, 1.311 WHIP, and 576-235 strikeout-to-walk ratio spanning 601 innings.
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Phelps has now been traded for the fourth time of his career. The Yankees dealt him in December 2014 to the Marlins, with Martin Prado, in exchange for Nathan Eovaldi, Domingo German and Garrett Jones. Prior to the July 2017 trade deadline, the Marlins then sent Phelps to the Seattle Mariners for Pablo Lopez, along with minor-leaguers Brayan Hernandez, Brandon Miller, and Lukas Schiraldi. Then, just prior to the July 2019 trade deadline, the Blue Jays sent Phelps to the Cubs for Tom Hatch.
Time will tell whether the addition of Phelps is the last trade general manager Matt Klentak makes before the 4 p.m. deadline.