of Philadelphia Phillies A deal is coming up to acquire left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto from NBA.com. detroit tigers As part of a five-person trade, According to MLB Network’s John MorosiIf the deal goes through, the Phillies will acquire Soto and infielder Cody Clemens in exchange for outfielder Matt Biering, utility player Nick Mutton and catcher Donnie Sands.
Soto, who turns 28 next month, has spent most of the past two seasons as a closer for Detroit. Overall, he amassed his 3.34 ERA (121 ERA+) and his 1.84 strikeout percentage, but those numbers were weighed down by his wildness. In fact, Soto’s walk percentage (13.7%) in the 2021-22 season is the second highest among his 22 pitchers in which he recorded 30 or more saves in that period. Only Aroldis Chapman, now a free agent, walked a higher share of hitters.
Nevertheless, the Phillies were probably intrigued by Soto. He averaged over 98 mph with his fastball last season. He also throws from his point of release which is unusual. This is what you see as he extends deep out of his forearm slot. This combination no doubt helps explain why he struck out more than one hitter per inning in his career.
Soto will remain under the team’s control until the 2025 season, and he could be a long-term fit as long as there are relief options.
Soto is the third notable addition the Phillies have added to the bullpen this winter. Dave Dombrowski and Sam Fuld previously signed Matt Strahm and Craig Kimbrel. With the latter’s arrival, Dombrowski suggested the Phillies would likely enter the season with a closer Commission approach.
“Don’t say [Kimbrel] I wouldn’t quit the game or say it couldn’t happen, but it was important to have that conversation beforehand.” Dabrowski told MLB.com.“We feel like we have really good bullpen makings. We have quite a few guys who can pitch with a one-run lead late in the game, and I think that’s very important.”
It’s unclear if the Phillies will change philosophies with Soto in tow. Manager Rob Thomson seems likely going into the season intending to mix and match based on matchups and availability.
Clemens, 26, is known as one of Roger’s sons. He made his major league debut last season, batting . 145/. Clemens has shown good raw power off the left flank in the minors, but his tendency to miss swings limits his offensive ceiling. thinking about.
The Tigers got in return three hitters who should see big league action during the 2023 season.
At 26, Vierling is the most accomplished member of the trio. 260/.309/.374 (91 OPS+) in 151 big league games in his last two seasons, and has seen most of the action in center field. The Tigers ostensibly view Vierling as an upside his play based on how hard he hits the ball. Last season, his exit speed averaged him in the 86th percentile and at maximum he was ranked in the 82nd percentile, suggesting he has more juice in the bat than the slashline suggests.
The 25-year-old Mutton had an impressive 34 games last season for the Phillies, pushing his career slashline to .254/.330/.434 (109 OPS+) in 216 plate appearances. Note that Maiton swings and misses a lot for players who don’t generate a lot of power. That means his whiff percentage in 2022 was his 35.4%, well above his league average of 24.7%.
The 26-year-old Suns made three appearances for the big-league club last season. 309/.413/.428 and recorded nearly as many bases as he struck out. The Tigers also have two of his catchers, Eric Haas and Jake Rogers, on his 40-man roster and should the Tigers make another trade or suffer an injury before the season begins. That suggests the Suns could open the season in the minors.
