The minor league carousel of player movement kept spinning this week. This time it was the Philadelphia Phillies dealing from a position of depth instead of acquiring more talent. On Thursday, the Phillies traded Triple-A pitcher Ryan Burr to the Toronto Blue Jays for cash considerations, per the team's transaction page.
It was a move that flew under the radar because, let’s be honest, when your major league team is the best in the game, minor transactions of players leaving the organization aren’t going to make many headlines. The Toronto Blue Jays announced the move on social media on Friday afternoon.
OFFICIAL: We’ve acquired RHP Ryan Burr from the Phillies in exchange for Cash Considerations.
— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) May 31, 2024
Burr has been selected to the Major League roster and will be active tonight.
ROSTER MOVES:
🔹 RHP Alek Manoah placed on 15-day IL (right elbow sprain)
🔹 RHP Joel Kuhnel DFA’d pic.twitter.com/zHPXKJkwB7
Phillies forced to trade minor league pitcher to Blue Jays
The Phillies were somewhat backed into a corner by Burr and his contract. The right-hander had an opt-out clause set to kick in on June 1. Instead of losing Burr for nothing, the Phillies quickly found a trading partner with a desperate need for pitching and made the transaction.
The Blue Jays were a perfect match for this move, given the recent rash of pitcher injuries the organization has faced. The most recent injury was to troubled starter Alek Manoah, who left his most recent start with elbow soreness. He’s in the process of seeking a second opinion but is likely out for an extended period. The Jays added Burr to their 26-man roster before their Friday game against the Pirates.
The Phillies signed Burr to the minor league deal in December after he had spent parts of four seasons from 2018 to 2022 in the majors with the Chicago White Sox. He was a non-roster invitee to spring training but was sent to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to begin the season. In 15 appearances for the IronPigs, the 30-year-old posted a 2.16 ERA and 1.14 WHIP with 29 strikeouts in 16 2/3 innings.
The Phillies have been busy adding minor-league pitchers this season. They traded Connor Brogdon to the Dodgers in early April for left-hander Benony Robles, then made a deal with the Reds for Tyler Gilbert from the Reds and, most recently, for Jonah Dipoto from the Mariners.