Phils deal former top prospect Biddle to Pirates
Multiple reports confirm that the Phillies have traded left-handed pitcher Jesse Biddle to Pittsburgh in a deal with an undisclosed return at the time of this writing.
Biddle, 24, underwent off-season Tommy John surgery and will miss the entirety of the 2016 season.
The move seemed to be something that has been in the works from the Phillies side since they designated him for assignment, removing him from their 40-man roster last week. With his extended injury time, placing him on the 60-day disabled list would have allowed the Phils to keep Biddle on their roster without having him take up valuable space there, as there are exceptions for ailing players.
The Philadelphia native has missed considerable time with injuries in recent years, including a concussion, elbow soreness as well as a knee issue and dealing with whooping cough for an extended stretch.
Pittsburgh could be an ideal place for Biddle to rebound, once healthy. It’s become a popular destination for pitchers looking for a career resurgence under pitching coach Ray Searage.
In 2010, the Phillies made Biddle, a Germantown Friends School product, their top draft pick, taking him 27th overall on the 1st round.
Splitting his 2015 campaign between Double-A Reading and Triple-A Lehigh Valley, Biddle tallied a 9-6 record with a 4.95 ERA and a .295 batting average against in 24 starts last season. In 133 career games over eight seasons, the six-foot-five 235-pounder posted a 40-45 record with a 3.81 ERA and a .240 BAA.
Recently, the Phils have begun to acquire a collection of other left-handed talent, including Bobby LaFromboise who was selected off waivers from the Angels, signing minor league free agents Edgar Ibarra and Jeremy Bleich along with undrafted free agent Evan Crower, who played quarterback at Stanford.
*UPDATE*– The Phillies announced the deal this afternoon, confirming that they’ve received righty pitcher Yoervis Medina in the swap for Biddle. Medina, a 27-year-old Venezuela native, sports a 10-9 record with a 3.08 ERA and a .222 batting average against in 146 big league relief appearances. He pitched in 17 combined games with the Cubs and Mariners last season.
