Phillies trade for outfielder Kyle Garlick

A new face will be in camp for the Philadelphia Phillies this week.

The team announced Saturday afternoon that it has acquired outfielder Kyle Garlick from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade for pitching prospect Tyler Gilbert. Outfielder Nick Martini was designated for assignment by the Phillies to make the room to complete the trade.

Garlick, 28, has spent his whole career in the Dodgers organization to this point. He appeared in 30 games for the club in 2019, but has mostly been blocked at the major league level by the plethora of talented Dodgers outfielders. Garlick had an OPS of .842 in his stint in the majors, also hitting 23 home runs with an OPS of 1.057 in 81 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City.

The left-handed Gilbert was a non-roster invitee to Phillies Spring Training camp. The 26-year-old had a 2.83 ERA in 36 relief appearances for Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season. However, the path to Philadelphia was not particularly clear for Gilbert, as he seemed to be behind several lefties on the depth chart such as José Álvarez, Adam Morgan and fellow NRI Francisco Liriano.

The newly-acquired Garlick will most likely be in competition for a bench role with the Phillies. The Phillies do not have the same outfield depth that the Dodgers do, so there could be an opportunity for Garlick if he can replicate the power he showed in Triple-A last season. With over 70 players in camp, he will be one of many fighting for a spot on the Opening Day roster.

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