The Phillies claiming RHP Johan Quezada was one of several roster moves announced on Friday.
The Philadelphia Phillies announced one player addition and several subtractions just before team president Andy MacPhail spoke to reporters through a virtual press conference Friday afternoon.
The lone add was claiming right-handed reliever Johan Quezada off waivers from the Miami Marlins. Meanwhile, the Phillies declined club options on fellow right-handed relievers David Phelps, David Robertson, and Hector Neris.
Phelps and Robertson now become free agents, while Neris remains on the 40-man roster and is eligible for arbitration. The Phils owe a $2 million and $250,000 buyout to Robertson and Phelps, respectively.
Furthermore, the Phils also announced that infielder Phil Gosselin, RHP Heath Hembree, LHP Adam Morgan, and RHP Blake Parker cleared outright waivers and elected free agency.
Quezada, 26, never pitched above the Single-A level before the 2020 season; in three major-league appearances with the Marlins, he yielded four hits, three earned runs, one home run, and one walk, while striking out two of his 12 batters faced.
The Dominican Republic native — who throws 100 miles per hour — made his big-league debut in the ninth inning of a September 12 home game against manager Joe Girardi‘s squad; he retired all three batters he faced to finish the 12-6 Marlins loss.
The next key deadline to watch is this Sunday, November 1, when the Phillies must decide whether they will issue qualifying offers to key free agents Didi Gregorius and J.T. Realmuto. Then on December 2, the Phillies must determine whether they will tender contracts before the arbitration process begins to catcher Andrew Knapp; first baseman Rhys Hoskins; and right-handers Neris, Seranthony Dominguez, Zach Eflin, David Hale and Vince Velasquez.
So far, the following Phillies players from the 2020 roster have entered free agency, in addition to Gosselin, Gregorius, Hembree, Morgan, Parker, Phelps, Realmuto, and Robertson: Jose Alvarez, Jake Arrieta, Jay Bruce, Tommy Hunter, and Brandon Workman. More names from the arbitration-eligible list could soon join them.