Fans were streaming into Citizens Bank Park as the trade deadline passed Tuesday evening. The grounds team was preparing the field. Aaron Nola was walking across the outfield to the bullpen, where he would start his pregame warmups.
And, as it turned out, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was preparing to unveil a pair of game-changing moves. First, he acquired left-handed reliever Tanner Banks from the White Sox in exchange for minor league infielder William Bergolla.
Banks, 32, has a 4.13 ERA in 41 games for Chicago this season.
Before anyone could wonder who he’d be replacing in the bullpen, Gregory Soto was traded to the Orioles for minor-league pitcher Seth Johnson.
“We’ve liked Banks for a long time,” Dombrowski remarked during a hastily convened press conference. “Our folks campaigned for him. He’s been particularly good against left-handed hitters, ranking among the best in Major League Baseball in that category. We just thought he was a better fit for our bullpen right now than Soto.”
Banks has faced 83 left-handed hitters this season, striking out 28 while limiting them to a.184 batting average and.492 OPS.
When the dust cleared on the infield, Dombrowski had made four separate deals, including two with the Orioles that sent Soto, reliever Seranthony Dominguez, and outfielder Cristian Pache to Baltimore. This might lead to some intriguing matchups if the Phillies face the Birds in the World Series.
Leave a Reply