Phillies acquire Sam Coonrod from Giants for 2020 draft pick

Phillies acquire Sam Coonrod from Giants.

The Philadelphia Phillies have made their second trade in recent weeks in an effort to improve their bullpen. After acquiring LHP Jose Alvarado from the Tampa Bay Rays, the team announced on Saturday that it has acquired right-handed reliever Sam Coonrod from the San Francisco Giants.

In exchange for the 28-year-old Coonrod, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will send Gabe Kapler‘s Giants right-handed prospect Carson Ragsdale, who was among the Phillies’ four draft picks — selected in the fourth round — from the five-round 2020 Major League Baseball Draft.

Coonrod made his big-league debut with the Giants in May 2019 after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2014 draft out of Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

As a rookie, the St. Louis native went 5-1 with a 3.58 ERA and 1.229 WHIP across 33 appearances and 27 2/3 innings. Of his 114 batters faced, Coonrod allowed 19 hits, 11 runs (11 earned), three home runs, and 15 walks, while striking out 20.

The right-hander’s 2020 season was not as successful. In 18 games, he allowed 16 runs (all earned) over 14 2/3 innings en route to a 9.82 ERA. Coonrod also recorded three saves in five opportunities.

“Much of the damage against him has been done by left-handed hitters,. He’s held righties to .225/.319/.314,” NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Corey Seidman writes. “Coonrod’s fastball averaged 98.7 mph this past season. He used five pitches. He threw more sinkers (97.9 average) than four-seamers, and also used a changeup, slider and curveball.”

Among MLB pitchers who three at least 50 four-seam fastballs during the 2020 season, Coonrod ranked fifth in average velocity (98.4 miles per hour), according to Statcast. And, among pitchers who threw at least 50 sinkers, his 97.6 miles per hour average velocity ranked ninth.

The Phillies still have plenty of moves to make this offseason, but they took a step in the right direction through their Saturday trade acquisition.