Over the last week and a half, MLB has seen as a spree of extensions for top prospects — in two cases, they were finalized before those players even made their major league debuts.
The Mariners kicked it off with an eight-year, $95 million deal for shortstop Colt Emerson, the Brewers followed with eight years, $50.75 million for Cooper Pratt, and the Pirates doled out the granddaddy of them all: nine years, $140 million for Konnor Griffin.
In all cases, there were roster casualties. Pitcher Ryan Loutos was DFA'ed for Emerson, outfielder Steward Berroa for Pratt, and first baseman Enmanuel Valdez for Griffin.
The Phillies announced on Wednesday that they had capitalized on one of those moves. They took Berroa from the Brewers in exchange for cash considerations and stashed him in Triple-A Lehigh Valley for some depth. They DFA'ed pitcher Yoniel Curet to make room on the 40-man roster.
The Phillies have acquired outfielder Steward Berroa from the Milwaukee Brewers in exchange for cash considerations and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. To make room for Berroa on the 40-man roster, right-handed pitcher Yoniel Curet was designated for assignment.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) April 8, 2026
The IronPigs' outfield depth has taken a few hits since the beginning of the year, with top prospect outfielders Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Keaton Anthony on the IL.
Phillies pick up outfielder Steward Berroa, DFA'ed by Brewers for Cooper Pratt after extension
Berroa was an international free agent signing for the Blue Jays in 2016, but it would take him eight years to get to the major leagues. It took him three years to crack Rookie ball and didn't make it to Triple-A until close to the end of 2023. Toronto called him up for his major league debut in June 2024, after he hit .296 with a .843 OPS in Triple-A Buffalo, but he failed to make an impression in Toronto, going 7-for-37 with 14 strikeouts in 28 games.
He was DFA'ed in May 2025 and bounced around to a couple of different organizations. First to the Dodgers, who DFA'ed him in July (before he could make a major league appearance with them) and flipped him to the Brewers in exchange for cash. He appeared in two major league games for Milwaukee in 2025, started 2026 on the IL, and was DFA'ed again almost immediately after a rehab assignment.
He joins Bryan De La Cruz, Pedro León, and Óscar Mercado in Lehigh Valley as outfielders with at least a little major league experience, all of whom are vying to be the first to get the call if the Phillies are hit with any untimely injuries in the bigs.
It's hard to believe that Berroa will be much more than a stopgap if that does happen, but it never hurts to have some extra depth.