The Phillies have traded reliever Gregory Soto to the Orioles, according to insider Jim Salisbury. Pitching prospect Seth Johnson is heading to Philadelphia, as reported by Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, along with pitching prospect Moises Chace, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
Soto, a 29-year-old lefty, has posted a 26.7 K%, 12.1 BB%, and a 50% ground-ball rate in 35 1/3 innings for the Phillies this year. Manager Rob Thomson had already moved Soto down the bullpen depth chart before the club acquired Carlos Estevez and Tanner Banks in recent trades. Despite this, Soto, who averages 98.4 mph on his fastball, remains under team control next year as an arbitration-eligible player. He is earning a solid $5M this season. Originally with the Tigers, Soto joined the Phillies in a January 2023 trade.
With the Phillies’ CBT payroll hovering around the second luxury-tax threshold of $257M, Soto might have been a luxury in a bullpen that already includes Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering, Jose Alvarado, and Carlos Estevez.
Just four days ago, the Phillies traded reliever Seranthony Dominguez to the Orioles for outfielder Austin Hays. These swaps between first-place teams have been intriguing, with the Orioles bolstering their bullpen behind Craig Kimbrel and Yennier Cano by looking to the Phillies. The Orioles, who also acquired starters Zach Eflin and Trevor Rogers in deadline deals, do not share the Phillies’ payroll concerns.
Breaking
Seth Johnson, a 25-year-old right-hander, has a 2.63 ERA, 22.6 K%, 13.0 BB%, and 40.4% ground-ball rate in 18 Double-A starts. Drafted 40th overall by the Rays in 2019, Johnson was traded to the Orioles two years ago in a three-team deal involving Trey Mancini and Jose Siri. MLB.com rated him a 45, noting that “he maintains the ceiling of a mid-rotation starter, though his age and placement on the 40-man roster could push Johnson into a bullpen role in the short term.” Baseball America gave him a 50 grade before the season and had a similar outlook.
Chace, 21, has primarily pitched 3-4 innings per outing in High-A this year. He has been effective at striking out batters with a 34.2 K%, but has struggled with control, allowing a 13.5 BB%. His pitching coach, Jordie Henry, told Baseball America’s Jon Meoli, “Even when he has those [command] hiccups, knowing that we already know his ceiling at this level is really, really exciting.”
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