Both players acquired in Gregory Soto trade ranked among Phillies’ Top 10 prospects

Seth Johnson is a Top 10 Phillies prospect, according to Baseball America. (Cheryl Pursell)

At the 2024 trade deadline, the going rate for a top reliever was at least two of an organization’s top 10 prospects. The Phillies acquired Carlos Estevez for RHP George Klassen, Baseball America’s No. 5 Phillies prospect at the time, and RHP Sam Aldegheri (No. 7). The Padres paid an even bigger price to acquire lefty Tanner Scott from the Marlins for LHP Robby Snelling (No. 3), RHP Adam Mazur (No. 4), 3B Graham Pauley (No. 6) and INF Jay Beshears (No. 29).

Estevez was solid for the Phillies during the last two months of the regular season, posting a 2.57 ERA in 20 appearances. But he gave up the devastating grand slam to Francisco Lindor in Game 4 of the NLDS that ultimately ended the Phillies’ season. He could still re-sign with the team as a free agent.

The trade could end up haunting the Phillies if Klassen and Aldegheri develop into significant contributors for the Angels. Luckily, the Phillies were able to replenish their system in a separate deal.

After acquiring lefty reliever Tanner Banks from the White Sox for infielder William Bergolla Jr., the Phillies dealt Gregory Soto to the Orioles for right-handed pitching prospects Seth Johnson and Moises Chace. Unhappy with his role in the bullpen, Soto expressed interest in moving at the deadline if the right opportunity came about. He posted a 1.10 ERA after giving up eight earned runs in his first three appearances with Baltimore.

The deal netted the Phillies a surprisingly strong prospect package. Both Johnson and Chace rank in the Top 10 of Baseball America’s latest Phillies prospect rankings. Chace was ranked at No. 6 with Johnson at 7. Johnson ranked 10th in Baseball America’s 2024 Orioles midseason Top 30.

Chace, 21, impressed in his first few weeks in the Phillies organization. Across six starts with High-A Jersey Shore and Double-A Reading, Chace posted a 3.81 ERA. Baseball America is high on his fastball and thinks he has the arsenal to be a great late-inning reliever, but could stick as a starter if he throws more strikes. He threw a career-high 80 1/3 innings in 2024.

Here is Baseball America’s scouting report on Chace:

Chace’s fastball is one of the signatures of the righthander’s mix. The pitch averages 95 mph and peaks at 98, but under the hood is where it really stands out. Chace’s lower slot, unusual carry and an average of roughly 18.5 inches of induced vertical break combine to produce a fastball that reminds some of the offering that has made Astros righthander Cristian Javier famous. The pitch garnered a miss rate north of 40%, and Chace backs it with a deep and varied pitch mix that has been tweaked as he’s matured. His current repertoire includes a short, hard slider, a sweeper and a changeup. The slider—which has the look of a cutter at times—is an effective offering against both righties and lefties and helps set up his sweeper for swings and misses. His changeup needs further development but has a chance to be average. Chace’s next step will be to turn his control into command, especially when it comes to pounding the zone early in counts.

Johnson, 26, pitched well in his first full season back from Tommy John surgery. Across 25 starts in Double-A and Triple-A in 2024, Johnson posted a 2.73 ERA. He struggled in his first MLB start on Sept. 8 against the Marlins, but the Phillies won’t hold that against him. He’ll presumably go to big league spring training next year with an outside chance of winning a job in the starting rotation.

Baseball America’s scouting report says Johnson’s curveball and cutter have “above-average potential,” but he’ll need to develop an out pitch to be a regular in a big league rotation.

Both Johnson and Chace have a decent chance at contributing at the big league level in 2025 and beyond. It’s a good development for the Phillies, especially when you consider that both were acquired for a player who no longer wanted to be in Philadelphia.

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Destiny Lugardo

A lifelong native of Philadelphia, Destiny has been a contributor for Phillies Nation since January 2019 and was named Deputy Editorial Director in May 2020.