Tanner Banks
In an effort to bolster the bullpen heading into the stretch run, the Phillies got rid of two of their own middling relievers, Gregory Soto and Seranthony Domínguez, at the trade deadline. With the loss of a lefty in Soto from their relief corps, Philadelphia quickly replenished that depth by acquiring left-handed pitcher Tanner Banks from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor league infield prospect William Bergolla.
With the White Sox in 2024, Banks compiled a 4.13 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 55 strikeouts in 48 innings over 41 appearances. After joining the Phillies, he maintained those numbers with a 3.70 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, with 23 strikeouts in 24 innings over 22 games. However, Banks struggled for much of the final month of the season when he posted a dismal 5.06 ERA and 1.78 WHIP while yielding runs in five of his 10 outings.
That inconsistency led to his minimal usage during the 2024 postseason, as he only pitched in one playoff game. In fact, Banks was deployed in mop-up duty as he appeared in Game 1 of the NLDS in the ninth inning when the Phillies were down 5-1 to the Mets. He yielded one run on two hits in his one inning of work.
As for Bergolla, he continued to show off his speed and hitting with the White Sox’ High-A affiliate Winston-Salem as he batted a solid .316 with a .755 OPS with nine runs scored, two triples, 11 RBI and nine stolen bases in 22 games to finish off his 2024 minor league campaign.
With Banks’ numbers eerie similar to what Soto had put up for the Phillies this season but with just slightly better control, it's a debate whether or not the lefty replacement was indeed an upgrade over what Philadelphia actually had.
But the fact that Banks regressed considerably down the stretch, as well as being a non-factor in the postseason, severely decreased his overall value with the club in the end. Therefore, his acquisition deserves a C for his good effort, but without the expected dominant outcome.
Final Grade: C