Categories: Phillies Nuggets with Tim Kelly

As Tigers come to town, Phillies look like clear winners of offseason trade

Kody Clemens is in his first season with the Phillies. (Cheryl Pursell)

While it may have been difficult for some Phillies fans when Matt Vierling and Nick Maton — two productive bench players on a team that reached the World Series — were traded to the Detroit Tigers in January, Philadelphia looks like the clear winner early on of a trade that landed them Gregory Soto and Kody Clemens.

During a three-game set this week between the Phillies and Tigers at Citizens Bank Park, Vierling and Maton are slated to receive their NL Champions rings. But one is on the injured list currently, and both have struggled for the 26-31 Tigers.

As Destiny Lugardo noted on Phillies Nation last week, Vierling is currently on the injured list with a lower back strain, which will cost him a chance to play in this series. While there was buzz this spring about Vierling potentially being a breakout player, he was slashing just .241/.297/.352 with four home runs, 15 RBIs, a .649 OPS and a -0.2 WAR in 46 games.

Vierling’s defensive flexibility continues to bring value, as he’s spent time at all three outfield positions, second base and third base in 2023. But to this point, there’s no evidence that the 26-year-old is more than a fourth outfielder on a contending team.

Maton provided a spark for the Phillies in limited action in 2022, homering five times and driving in 17 runs in 35 games. But after posting a 0.7 WAR in 2022, Maton, like Vierling, finds himself underwater with a -0.4 WAR in 52 games this season. Across 145 at-bats, Maton is slashing just .166/.291/.310 with a .601 OPS. Between second and third base, the 26-year-old has -5 defensive runs saved and -4 outs above average in 2023.

Meanwhile, the Phillies have received solid contributions from both Soto and Clemens in their first seasons in red pinstripes.

Soto is tied with Connor Brogdon for the team lead in appearances at 27. And while his 5.25 ERA would lead you to believe 2023 has been a struggle, Soto has been largely effective. No one is glossing over the fact that Soto has four appearances where he’s allowed three or more earned runs. But across the other 23 games he’s pitched in this season, Soto has allowed just three total hits, a trend he discussed with Phillies Nation last month.

Soto has nine holds, a save, a 3.20 FIP and a 0.4 WAR, per FanGraphs. Obviously, he needs to cut down on his blowups, but there’s worse things than being unhittable for nine out of 10 outings. Soto, 28, can’t become a free agent until after the 2025 season, so he figures to become a mainstay in the bullpen for the Phillies.

As for Clemens, the Phillies certainly didn’t expect to be in a position where Rhys Hoskins, Darick Hall and Alec Bohm are all on the injured list at the same time. But Clemens has played well enough that it’s not a guarantee that the rehabbing Hall is recalled the second he’s deemed to be ready to play in a Major League game again.

In 31 games for the Phillies, Clemens has slashed .253/.311/.434 with four home runs, 10 RBIs, a .745 OPS and a 0.4 WAR. At the time of the trade, Clemens was thought to be the weakest of the four players dealt. But he’s proven to be solid organizational depth, the type of piece you need to get through a 162-game season.

Clemens has already been optioned to the minor leagues once this season, meaning the Phillies won’t have to exhaust another one in 2023, even if they send the 27-year-old to Triple-A again at some point this season. With two more minor league options remaining, it’s possible Clemens fills the role of Triple-A star/Major League contributor for a few seasons with the Phillies.

Certainly, things can change. If Vierling comes off the injured list and heats up, it’s possible this trade will be viewed differently at the end of the season. But the early returns suggest that the Phillies traded two replaceable players, got one of the more talented relievers in the sport and landed a valuable bench piece.

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Soto Reflects On Facing Former Team

While Soto never entirely figured things out in Detroit, he was a two-time All-Star during four seasons with the Tigers. Last month, through interpreter Diego Ettedgui, Soto reflected on what it will be like to face his former team.

“So it’s two sides here. On one side, I don’t want to get too excited, because I’ve seen players in the past that get too excited when they face their previous team and they don’t do a good job,” Soto said.

“But on the other side, I am happy to see them and I’m looking forward to actually facing a few of them like Miguel Cabrera, Javy Báez, Jonathan Schoop. Those are elite hitters and you want to get those guys out. So I’m happy and I’m excited to see them.”

Speaking of Cabrera, this will be the final time that the two-time American League MVP visits Citizens Bank Park. It will also likely mark the final time that someone who played at Veterans Stadium plays in a Major League game in Philadelphia.

During his rookie season of 2003, Cabrera had nine hits in 24 at-bats at the Vet, two of which were home runs. The future Hall of Famer would go on to help lead the Marlins to a World Series win over the New York Yankees that fall, when he was just 20 years old.

Perhaps Soto will get a chance to face the 12-time All-Star in his final at-bat at Citizens Bank Park, a stadium where he has seven home runs and 20 RBIs in 40 career games.