The newest member of the Phillies' bullpen is a familiar face to manager Joe Girardi.
It came down to the last half-hour, but the Phillies _ in one more attempt to improve the roster enough to make the playoffs for the first time since 2011 _ beat Monday's 4 p.m. trade deadline by acquiring righthanded reliever David Phelps from the Brewers, a source confirmed. The Phillies will send three players to be named to Milwaukee, which means only that none of the players is on the active roster or at the satellite camp in Lehigh Valley.
Phelps, 33, pitched for Girardi with the New York Yankees from 2012-14 as mostly a multiple-inning reliever and spot starter. He has matured into a late-inning relief role and figures to join Hector Neris and fellow newcomers Brandon Workman and Heath Hembree in that capacity in the Phillies' remade bullpen.
With lefty Ranger Suarez due to join the Phillies later this week after overcoming COVID-19, the Phillies bullpen in September likely will include five relievers who weren't there on opening night (Phelps, Workman, Hembree, David Hale, and Suarez).
Phelps was having a good season with the Brewers, posting a 2.77 ERA and averaging 13.8 strikeouts per nine innings in 12 appearances. He signed a one-year, $1.5 million contract as a free agent last winter, a modest deal that might nevertheless nudge the Phillies over the $208 million luxury-tax threshold. The Phillies also hold a $4.5 million club option on Phelps for 2021.
In eight major-league seasons with seven teams, Phelps has a 3.83 ERA and has averaged 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings in 281 appearances, including 65 starts.
"I think he's one of those guys that has the ability to be a multiple-inning reliever who gets lefthanders and righthanders out," Girardi said of Phelps last year at the winter meetings. "He's also a guy who is extremely prepared. He studies the game. And we used to use him as a spot starter. He's a multiple-inning guy who can perform multiple roles. Those are guys you look for."
It was a frenzied trade deadline dominated by two teams with lengthy postseason droughts.
The San Diego Padres, who haven't qualified for the playoffs since 2006, acquired ace pitcher Mike Clevinger in a nine-player blockbuster with the Cleveland Indians. A few hours later, the Miami Marlins, absent from October since 2003, pulled off a deal for centerfielder Starling Marte that involved sending lefthander Caleb Smith to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Not to be left out, the Phillies addressed their biggest need with their third trade for relief pitching in 10 days. They acquired Hale from the Yankees for minor-league reliever Addison Russ on Aug. 21 before obtaining Workman and Hembree from the Boston Red Sox for pitchers Nick Pivetta and Connor Seabold.
