Phillies acquire All-Star reliever; trade Vierling, Maton to Tigers

Update 2:30 p.m. ET: The Phillies have officially announced the trade, with Soto and Clemens coming to Philadelphia, while Vierling, Maton and Sands head back to Detroit.

Original Article

The Philadelphia Phillies are on the verge of acquiring two-time All-Star reliever Gregory Soto from the Detroit Tigers, per multiple reports.

Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia was the first to report that the Phillies were “working on a trade” for Soto. Jon Morosi of MLB.com says that outfielder Matt Vierling, infielder/outfielder Nick Maton and catcher Donny Sands would go back to Detroit in exchange for Soto and infielder Kody Clemens, who is the son of seven-time American League Cy Young Award winner Roger Clemens. Morosi notes that a deal has been reached, but medical reviews still need to take place, which hasn’t proven to be a sure thing this offseason.

Soto, 27, has played in the midsummer classic in each of the past two seasons, but has a 3.34 ERA and 3.88 FIP over that period, so it’s not as though he’s been consistently dominant.

Still, the lefty’s fastball averaged 98.8 mph in 2022, his sinker sat at 98.4 mph, his changeup at 91.6 mph and his slider at 89.4 mph. As Robert Orr of Baseball Prospectus noted, there are some qualities in Soto similar to what José Alvarado was when acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays before the 2021 season. Soto has excellent stuff, and if he learns how to better command it, he could be one of the game’s best relievers, as Alvarado was in the second half of the 2022 season.

The guys at Céspedes Family BBQ passed along this stat, which is certainly something:

José Alvarado and Gregory Soto combined to account for 81% of the 100+ MPH pitches thrown by all LHPs in the 2022 MLB regular season

— Céspedes Family BBQ (@CespedesBBQ) January 7, 2023

Also of note is that Soto can’t become a free agent until after the 2025 season. In 2023, he’ll pitch in a bullpen that will include Alvarado. It’s possible, though, that he’s insurance if Alvarado were to depart in free agency next offseason.

Clemens is a 26-year-old utility infielder who posted an .862 OPS in 60 games for Triple-A Toledo in 2022. He was a third-round pick out of the University of Texas at Austin in 2018, and has slashed .197/.308/.505 in 117 career big league at-bats.

Meanwhile, Vierling and Maton were both key bench pieces for the Phillies in 2022. While giving up depth for a reliever with excellent stuff isn’t a steep price, the Phillies will now need to make some additions to their bench. Vierling, specifically, was valuable because of his ability to play all three outfield positions, among others. As Bryce Harper recovers from Tommy John surgery, the Phillies will need a reliable fourth outfielder to go with the trio of Kyle Schwarber, Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh.

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