The most significant offseason move for the Philadelphia Phillies has already been made.
The team and designated hitter Kyle Schwarber reached an agreement on a five-year, $150 million contract on Tuesday during the Major League Baseball Winter Meetings. The Phillies are likely to stay with additional minor adjustments before opening day, even though there is plenty of time for the organization to make another significant trade and a number of available players could undoubtedly strengthen the roster.
Additionally, the Phillies signed right-handed pitcher Trevor Richards to a minor league contract for the next season, according to analyst Steve Potter, who revealed the team’s most recent such deal on Friday.
Potter stated, “The 32-year-old pitched for the (Chicago) Cubs, (Kansas City) Royals, and (Arizona) Diamondbacks organizations last season.” “He signed a contract with the Cubs in January, was released in May, signed a contract with the Royals in May, was released in June, and then signed a contract with Arizona, where he completed the season—he chose free agency in October.”
Richards may no longer be considered a big-league pitcher after being designated for assignment by the Diamondbacks, a major National League foe of the Phillies. However, his lengthy career thus far indicates that he may still be able to contribute to the Phillies’ major league squad.
Richards has a 4.53 ERA and 616 career strikeouts across eight seasons with seven different teams. Although he started his career as a starter and has started 61 games overall, he has mostly been used as a relief option.
2021, when he pitched for the Tampa Bay Rays, Milwaukee Brewers, and Toronto Blue Jays, was probably his best season as a professional. He finished 10 games for all three teams that season, recording a 3.50 ERA with 78 strikeouts.
However, Richards took a big step back this past season. In the major leagues, he pitched fewer than six innings and had a 7.94 ERA. He was with the Diamondbacks’ Triple-A affiliate in Reno for the majority of the season, and things did not go well there.
While announcing the signing, Phillies Updates wrote on Instagram, “Richards in Triple-A with the Reno Aces logged roughly 30 innings and posted a 5.19 ERA across multiple stints.”
The Phillies will be hoping the veteran can recover and give the team some minor league depth, some guidance for its younger pitchers, and, if he can regain some of his former form, possibly a return to the major leagues.
