Mariners acquire reliever David Phelps from Marlins for four minor-leaguers
Jul 20, 2017, 9:35 AM | Updated: 5:29 pm
David Phelps has a 3.45 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP in 44 appearances this season. (AP)
(AP)
The Mariners have acquired right-handed reliever David Phelps from the Marlins in exchange for four minor-leaguers, most notably center fielder Brayan Hernandez, the team announced Thursday.
Phelps (2-4, 3.45 ERA in 44 appearances this season) comes to the Mariners with a mid-90s fastball and a strikeout rate of 9.8 Ks per nine innings. Over his last 36 games, Phelps has a 2.19 ERA (9 ER, 37.0 IP) and a .195 batting average against with 39 strikeouts and 19 walks. He’s a year removed from an 11.8 strikeout rate. This year is the first year he has been used exclusively in relief.
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While Phelps is not a current starter, which is what many expected and still expect the Mariners to add, he strengthens the back end of the bullpen, giving Seattle the ability to shorten games. It makes a bullpen that has posted the best ERA in baseball since May 21 better, adding experience, insurance and an established eighth-inning option along with Nick Vincent to get the ball to Edwin Diaz in the ninth. Phelps has posted good splits and can pitch multiple innings so he brings good flexibility as well.
It should ensure that for the rest of the season, barring injury, manager Scott Servais always has an upper-tier eighth-inning pitcher available.
“David was a target player for us headed into the deadline period,” Mariners general manager Jerry Dipoto said in the team’s press release. “The quality of his work, particularly over the past two years in the bullpen, in addition to his versatility (including his background as starter) made him very attractive to us. He fits our roster very well and is controllable through the 2018 season.”
Phelps, 30, has a year of arbitration remaining.
In addition to Hernandez, who is ranked anywhere from sixth to 12th in different organizational prospect ratings, the Marlins also receive right-handed pitchers Brandon Miller, Pablo Lopez and Lukas Schiraldi. Miller and Lopez are rated in the top 25 in the system by MLB Pipeline.
While Hernandez is an interesting prospect, Dipoto is dealing from an area of strength with three club-controlled outfielders on the Major League team and higher-ranked outfield prospects – Kyle Lewis and Tyler O’Neill – in the system.
The Marlins receive future potential while the Mariners get an established player now.
