Phillies flex improved depth in trade for Gregory Soto

It’s been a little over two years since Dave Dombrowski was hired to lead the Phillies baseball operations department and so much has changed.

Tasked with rescuing the Phillies from a decade of perpetual mediocrity, he guided the franchise to its first World Series berth since 2009 and rebuilt a roster full of stars that lacked the necessary depth to get over the finish line.

Nothing encapsulates the progress the Phillies have made quite like Saturday’s trade for Gregory Soto and Kody Clemens.

Matt Vierling and Nick Maton, two relatively important depth players, along with Triple A catcher Donny Sands, were tantalizing enough of a package for rebuilding Detroit to deal a closer who is set to become a free agent after the 2025 season.

It’s a trade that makes sense for both sides. Vierling and Maton will factor into the third base competition during spring training, according to Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris on a call with local reporters. Vierling could balance out a lefty heavy roster of outfielders if he’s not at third and Maton could move all around the infield. Sands will have a better chance at earning playing time behind the plate in Detroit than he did in Philadelphia.

When the Phillies made the Craig Kimbrel deal official on Wednesday, they probably thought they were set at the back end. Then Harris called Dombrowski looking to pick up trade discussions the two clubs had during the winter meetings involving Soto.

Thanks to two player development success stories as well as in season roster flexibility that comes with going over the luxury tax, the Phillies were able to pull off a trade that they wouldn’t have been able to make in year’s past.

Credit Vierling and Maton for flashing the potential that made them intriguing trade targets for a team in desperate need of MLB ready position players. Vierling’s offensive production was disappointing relative to expectations, but teams like his ability to consistently hit the ball hard and see him as a breakout candidate. It does help that he had 15 plate appearances during the postseason this year.

Maton’s playing time was sparse, but he made an impact. He hit five home runs, including two against Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara, and slugged .514 in 85 plate appearances. He had a .798 OPS against lefties over 23 plate appearances in 2022. His infectious energy along with his defensive versatility and ability to flash some pop should give him a chance to earn an everyday role in Detroit.

And somehow, Sands survived every Phillies 40-man roster crunch this season only to get traded to the Tigers. His involvement in the deal should not be overlooked as the Tigers also need some catching depth and could use a guy like Sands, who slashed .308/.413/.428 in Triple A this season.

He would have probably been designated for assignment at some point this season if the Phillies were not willing to call up 40-man roster minor leaguers such as Rafael Marchan, Damon Jones, Hans Crouse and James McArthur and place them on the 60-day injured list when they had to miss a significant amount of time. The players earned major league pay and service time while on the injured list, but it gave the Phillies a chance to retain players like Sands who would have been lost through waivers when the Phillies needed additional roster space.

The Phillies would not have made those in season moves if they were up against the luxury tax and looking to stay under.

The Phillies also would not have been able to make this trade if young players like Vierling and Maton were incapable of making an impact during a year in which the Phillies ended their 11-year postseason drought. Vierling, who was never a highly ranked prospect, bursted on to the scene after getting off to a hot start in Double A at the beginning of 2021. Maton has posted better numbers in the majors than he has in the minors.

When Jim Salisbury reported that the Phillies were close to acquiring Soto, the initial expectation was that the Phillies had to give up a relatively high ranking prospect for the lefty reliever. Perhaps it was a bit surprising that the Phillies traded three bench players for one of the top relievers available on the trade market, but that’s just another indication that the Phillies are in a much better spot as far as depth is concerned than they have been in years.

The playoff run elevated everyone involved with the Phillies and in this case, Dombrowski and the front office cashed in for a reliever who will be just one of the many options in the later innings next October.

It’s still crazy to think that this is reality for the Phillies. Think back to the end of the shortened 2020 season, if you can bare to reminisce. The Phillies had to put together a 40-man roster for the “postseason bubble.” Only nine players, Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suárez, Connor Brogdon, J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchan, Alec Bohm, Rhys Hoskins and Bryce Harper, remain from the roster that never was. Brandon Workman was the closer. Greg Bird was supposed to be on the bench, but he tested positive for COVID-19 and never appeared in a game. The depth was putrid.

Now the Phillies are trading depth for closers.

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