Phillies trade for pair of catchers, RHP
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PHILADELPHIA -- The Phillies announced a couple trades on Friday that should boost their catching and bullpen depth.
They acquired catcher Garrett Stubbs from the Astros for Minor League outfielder Logan Cerny. They also acquired right-hander Nick Nelson and catcher Donny Sands from the Yankees for Minor League left-hander Joel Valdez and first baseman T.J. Rumfield.
Stubbs, 28, batted a combined .182 with a .485 OPS in 87 plate appearances over three seasons with the Astros. He had a .781 OPS in 146 plate appearances last season with Triple-A Sugar Land. Stubbs can play in the outfield, too.
Nelson, 25, has a 6.43 ERA in 22 appearances in two seasons with the Yankees. He has struck out 40 and walked 27 in 35 innings. His fastball averaged 96.4 mph in 2021.
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Sands, 25, is a switch-hitter. He slashed .261/.326/.466 in 94 games with Double-A Somerset and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He was the Yankees’ No. 28 prospect before the trade.
All three players have been added to the Phillies’ 40-man roster, which puts them at 39 players. It also gives them four catchers on the 40-man: J.T. Realmuto, Rafael Marchan, Stubbs and Sands. The Phillies outrighted Andrew Knapp off the 40-man roster earlier this month.
The Phillies could enter Spring Training with all four catchers on the roster. They could trade one of them, too. Marchan has drawn plenty of interest from teams, including this past July.
The Phillies also have catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe, who finished the season in Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He then played extremely well in the Arizona Fall League. O’Hoppe is the organization’s No. 11 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
Cerny, 22, was the Phillies’ 10th-round pick in the 2021 Draft. He played 13 games with the rookie-level FCL Phillies and Low-A Clearwater. Valdez, 21, played with the rookie-level Dominican Summer League Phillies Red. He had a 1.63 ERA in 15 starts. Rumfield, 21, had a .689 OPS in 101 plate appearances with Low-A Clearwater.
The Phillies earlier on Friday claimed left-hander Kent Emanuel off waivers from Houston. They also added prospects Luis García, right-hander James McArthur and outfielder Jhailyn Ortiz to the 40-man roster, protecting them from the Rule 5 Draft.