Phillies Strengthen Bullpen Again By Grabbing Gregory Soto From Tigers

Less than a week after landing the major-league leader in saves, the Philadelphia Phillies have bolstered their bullpen for the third time this winter.

Pending physicals, the National League champions acquired highly-coveted lefty closer Gregory Soto from the Detroit Tigers, along with infielder Kody Clemens, for outfielder Matt Vierling, infielder-outfielder Nick Maton, and promising Triple-A catcher Donny Sands.

The Phillies had previously signed right-hander Craig Kimbrel to a one-year, $10 million deal and left-hander Matt Strahm to a two-year contract calling for $15 million.

Kimbrel, who turns 35 in May, has 394 saves, seventh on the lifetime list, but has not saved even 25 games in a season since 2018.

Strahm, 31, has been mainly a set-up man throughout his career, while Soto has succeeded as a closer only for the last two years after starting his career with Detroit as a struggling starter.

Soto’s age, contract, and years of control all appealed to the Phillies, who have taken pains to prevent a recurrence of their early-season bullpen woes of 2022.

The Dominican southpaw converted 30 of 33 chances for the Tigers last season, finishing with more strikeouts than innings pitched for the second year in a row. He also made the American League All-Star team in both 2021 and 2022.

Though subject to arbitration for the first time this year, Soto will be under Philadelphia team control through 2025 – longer than Kimbrel or Strahm. His $722,400 Detroit salary is virtually certain to quadruple if he goes through the arbitration process.

Philadelphia can afford it; according to Spotrac, the team ranks third in the majors with a $203,711,189 payroll after signing shortstop Trea Turner and starting pitcher Taijuan Walker in addition to Kimbrel and Strahm. Only the two New York teams pay their players more.

The Phillies, a third-place club that reached the post-season as the National League’s third wild-card, hope to replicate their unexpected late-summer run, when they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, and San Diego Padres in succession before dropping a six-game World Series to the Houston Astros.

The Tigers, on the other hand, limped to a 66-96 finish, 26 games out of first place and only one game out of the American League Central cellar.

Although the Philadelphia bullpen is definitely deeper and better-balanced, its structure remains to be determined.

After replacing Joe Girardi as manager last June, Rob Thomson got saves from 10 different relievers as the team won 65 of 111 games under his watch.

Soto’s biggest plus is his ability to keep the ball in the park — an important asset for a pitcher whose home games are in Citizens Bank Park, a notorious bandbox. Soto has yielded just one home run to a left-handed hitter in his career.

The Atlanta Braves, seeking to extend their consecutive division-title streak to six, have one of the league’s leading left-handed sluggers in Matt Olson. But two of the others, Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber, are now Soto’s teammates in Philadelphia.

Detroit’s rationale in dealing Soto is somewhat of a mystery. Just last month, they sent his heir apparent, Joe Jimenez, to the Braves in a three-man swap completed at the Baseball Winter Meetings in San Diego.

Like Soto, whose fastball has been timed at 98 mph, Jimenez is a strikeout pitcher.