Phillies Acquire Switch-Pitcher Pat Venditte From Seattle
The Philadelphia Phillies have traded for ambidextrous relief pitcher Pat Venditte.
The Phillies bullpen just got a bit more interesting, to say the least. There’s not too many ambidextrous pitchers in the MLB, but the Phillies just traded for one in Seattle reliever Pat Venditte, according to the Seattle Times. The Mariners will receive 23-year old outfielder Joey Curletta in return.
Pat Venditte hasn’t had the most illustrious career. He was drafted in 2007 by the New York Yankees, but didn’t make his first MLB appearance until 2015 for the Oakland A’s. He has a career record of 2-2 in 41 games, and spent last season with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners.
The 31-year old faced struggles last season, posting a 6.08 ERA in his seven games with Seattle and a 5.18 ERA in his eight games in Toronto. The major story surrounding Venditte is his ability to pitch with either arm, making him a niche reliever. Joining a weak Phillies bullpen Venditte could earn a spot on the Opening Day roster, but it seems that he will bounce up and down from the minors once again.
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The move isn’t a noticeable one, but a decent one. The Phillies get another body in the bullpen while giving up a young outfielder that would see little time in the loaded farm system. Curletta was the player to be named later in the deal that sent Carlos Ruiz to the Dodgers, and isn’t a major piece by any means.
Coming down to it, this trade was essentially two teams trading chump change for roles they felt suited their organization. Seattle gets a young outfielder for an aging bullpen guy, and the Phillies add to a needed role while giving up what they view as a minimal asset.
The gimmick pitching style of Venditte will add some spice to this season, and he’ll be hoping for a breakthrough season as he closes in on age 32. The Phillies are continuing to make small moves in hopes of finding the breakthrough. This move is a peculiar one because of Venditte’s age, but a low-risk one nonetheless.
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The Phillies will go into April with many positional spots up for grabs, and now they added Venditte to the mix. The big move has yet to happen from Matt Klentak, showing a mix of both patience and a want for progress. Venditte is the latest small move in the calculated re-tooling process.