With more than a year of data, it is now reasonable to conclude that the Philadelphia Phillies won the Jan. 7, 2023 transaction with the Detroit Tigers. In this trade, the Phillies acquired Gregory Soto and Kody Clemens. The Tigers added Matt Vierling, Nick Maton, and Donny Sands. The Phillies needed to enhance their bullpen at the time. So, Dave Dombrowski, President of Baseball Operations, struck a deal with his previous team to acquire Soto. This type of five-player deal with a two-to-three split appears rare. This is especially true when no significant contracts are involved. Furthermore, each of the five players in the transaction had already appeared in at least two major league games.
Vierling is the only one of the Tigers’ three acquired players who is still on the squad. In 42 games this season, he has a.261/.286/.410 batting average, three home runs, and 16 RBI. Maton presently plays for the Baltimore Orioles’ Triple-A Norfolk team. Maton hit.173/.288/.305 in 93 Tigers games last season, with eight home runs and 32 RBI. Sands currently plays for Triple-A Sacramento in the San Francisco Giants organization. Notably, he did not appear in any major league games for the Tigers. At this point, the Phillies have undoubtedly won the 2023 trade with the Tigers.
The Phillies won the 2023 trade with the Tigers.
Gregory Soto
Since joining the Phillies, Soto has been one of the team’s best relievers. Soto has a 4-5 record in 87 Phillies appearances with a 4.54 ERA, 1.278 WHIP, and 80 strikeouts. Throughout his career, he has a 3.50 FIP, an 89 ERA+, and five saves. While those figures may not appear to be particularly impressive, it is important noting that Soto has gone scoreless in 67 of his 87 Phillies appearances. Soto also had higher H/9, HR/9, BB/9, and K/9 statistics with the Phillies than he did in 186 Tigers games. It is worth mentioning that Soto made seven starts for the Tigers.
Soto is 1-1 this season in 18 games, with a 5.79 ERA, 1.857 WHIP, and 15 strikeouts. He has a 71 ERA+ and a 3.14 FIP this season. Soto’s walk and strikeout rates are inconsistent, with a 5.8 BB9 and a 9.6 K9 rate, while opponents have a.309 batting average against him. However, he has converted both of his save attempts this season. Soto finished the 2023 season 3-4 with a 4.62 ERA, a 1.144 WHIP, and 65 strikeouts in 69 games. Last season, he produced a 94 ERA+, a 3.59 FIP, and a career-high 3.3 BB/9 rate. Soto made three saves in six attempts last season.
Kody Clemens
Clemens has stepped up in recent games as Trea Turner is missing due to injury. Clemens has hit.321/.345/.821 in 11 games this season, with three home runs and ten RBI. One of those home runs occurred on Saturday against the Washington Nationals, as the Phillies were down to their final out. Clemens’ home run knotted the game, increasing the Phillies’ chances of winning by 48.9%. The Phillies won the game in extra innings. Clemens delivered another crucial hit against the Nationals on Sunday. His two-run double in the bottom of the fifth inning increased the Phillies’ win probability by 24.5%.
Kody Clemens is batting .348/.773/1.121 since getting called up on May 4th pic.twitter.com/hSbPeVaPV2
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) May 19, 2024
There is probably a case for Clemens to stay with the Phillies even after Turner returns. However, given their current roster situation, that seems improbable. Cristian Pache is out of options and must be designated for assignment. Meanwhile, after adding Whit Merrifield this offseason, the Phillies are unlikely to let him go so quickly. This opens the door for Clemens to be optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley when Turner returns from the injured list. While Clemens has done admirably in his major league appearances this season, he is unlikely to be able to remain on the 26-man roster once Turner returns.
