Phillies hoping trade for electric prospect turns into another swindling of the Rays

Once the Philadelphia Phillies made their first big move of the offseason by bringing back designated hitter Kyle Schwarber for another five years, they weren’t going to stop there. It didn’t take long before they followed that up by executing a sneaky good trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

Philadelphia acquired right-handed pitcher Yoniel Curet from the Rays in exchange for minor league pitcher Tommy McCollum at the Winter Meetings on Wednesday. Not only did the Phillies add some much-needed pitching depth to the organization, but Curet is also an electric prospect with tremendous upside.

Will Phillies' trade for Yoniel Curet turn into another Cristopher Sánchez situation?

Joining the Phillies, the 23-year-old Curet instantly finds himself as the organization’s No. 24 MLB Pipeline prospect heading into 2026. Philadelphia will certainly hope that history repeats itself and this deal turns into another swindling of the Rays.

Curet was recently designated for assignment by Tampa Bay who needed to make 40-man roster space for Cedric Mullins. The last time the Phillies traded for a pitcher that the Rays didn't have space for, they got Cristopher Sánchez for Curtis Mead in 2019. Let’s just say that the Sánchez deal has turned out pretty well for Philadelphia.

Curet was actually the Rays’ Minor League Pitcher of the Year in 2023 and was ranked among their top 25 prospects each of his past two seasons according to MLB Pipeline. More notably, he possesses an electric fastball that grades out at an elite 70 while consistently hitting the mid-to-high 90s. As his main go-to pitch, Curet has managed to strike out 486 batters in 3711/3 innings during his five years in the Rays system.

In fact, he has already drawn rave reviews (subscription required) from Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, per Lochlahn March of The Philadelphia Inquirer.

"He has options available. He has an arm that we really like," Dombrowski said, per March. "He’s really been successful at the minor-league level; plus-plus fastball … We have roster spots so we’re going to start building some depth and take advantage of it."

However, the main concern with his game is his inability to have consistent command. In particular, Curet struggled to some extent in 2025 as he battled injuries, posting a 3.90 ERA but a 1.43 WHIP as a result of 31 walks in 55 1/3 Triple-A innings.

Despite making 14 starts last season, the Phillies view him as a potential shutdown reliever. If the promising prospect can ultimately hone his craft and get his command more or less under control, he could be a potent weapon for the bullpen in the not-so-distant future.

Hopefully Curet's time of arrival in the majors ends up being a lot sooner rather than later to aid the Phillies in their quest for the World Series.