The Philadelphia Phillies traded for Los Angeles Angels outfielder Brandon Marsh and Chicago Cubs closer David Robertson on Tuesday.
The Phillies’ No. 3 prospect, Double-A catcher Logan O’Hoppe, is going to the Angels in exchange for Marsh, both teams announced. Right-hander Ben Brown, the Phillies’ No. 26 prospect, is headed to the Cubs.
The Phillies also designated right-hander Jeurys Familia and center fielder Odubel Herrera for assignment.
Marsh, himself a former top prospect in the Angels’ organization, is just 24 years old and in his second season in the majors. Marsh is batting .226 with eight home runs and 37 RBIs. He has 10 career homers in 163 total MLB games.
Marsh, a second-round pick of the Angels in 2016, played some center field in 2021 and 2022 for the Angels with Mike Trout sidelined. But he has also logged 77 games in left field this season. He’s expected to take over in center field in Philadelphia.
Robertson, 37, is enjoying a renaissance campaign so far with the Cubs.
He is 3-0 with a 2.23 ERA and 14 saves in 36 appearances. He has given up just 23 hits in 40 1/3 innings and is averaging 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings. He has 151 career saves with five teams — including the Phillies in 2019. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2006 and spent nine seasons in pinstripes.
Robertson suffered an elbow injury just seven games into his tenure with the Phillies in 2019, missing the rest of that season and the entire 2020 season following Tommy John surgery.
Herrera, 30, was batting .238 with five home runs and 21 RBIs in 62 games this season. He manned center in 48 games this season. He’s a career .271 hitter with 78 HRs and a .745 OPS in seven seasons in Philadelphia. He made the National League All-Star team in 2016.
Familia, 32, was in his first season with the Phillies after signing a one-year, $6 million deal with the club as a free agent in March. He was 1-1 with a 6.09 ERA in 38 appearances. He has 125 career saves — all but one with the New York Mets — and a 3.46 ERA in 537 appearances.
Right-hander Francisco Morales and outfielder Mickey Moniak were recalled by the Phillies to fill the roster spots for Tuesday night’s game.
O’Hoppe, 22, is hitting .269 with 15 home runs and 45 RBIs at Double-A Reading. He’s the No. 86 prospect in all of baseball.
Brown, 22, is 3-5 with a 3.08 ERA and 105 strikeouts through 73 innings at High-A Jersey Shore. The 6-foot-6 Brown was taken in the 33rd round of the 2017 draft. He’s expected to rise when the next prospect ratings are released.
–Field Level Media