Marlins acquire Tyler Phillips from Phillies for cash considerations

[Ely Sussman]

For the second consecutive year, the Miami Marlins have completed a trade on Opening Day eve. In 2024, it was flipping Jon Berti for prospects. This time around, they're adding to the big league roster by acquiring out-of-options right-hander Tyler Phillips from the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for cash considerations. The Marlins designated righty reliever Seth Martinez for assignment as the corresponding 40-man roster move.

Phillips made his MLB debut midway through last season. He tossed an improbable shutout on July 27, but allowed 28 runs (all earned) in his other 27 ⅔ innings pitched. There was a poor outing against the Marlins mixed in there (4.1 IP, 9 H, 5 ER, 1 BB, 4 K on Aug. 14). 

Phillips' pitch mix includes a sinker, sweeper, four-seam fastball, curveball and changeup. He has induced ground balls at a high rate throughout much of his professional career, including this past spring (63.0 GB%). However, the Phillies still designated him for assignment on Sunday.

It might be a brief stint for Phillips in Miami as the team seems poised to churn through multi-inning, low-leverage arms until their injured guys make their way back from the IL.

Seth Martinez had two separate stints with the Fish during spring training, most recently returning via waivers on March 15. He threw a scoreless inning in each of his three Grapefruit League appearances last week. Perhaps the "tiebreaker" between Phillips and Martinez was that the former was capable of providing more bulk at this stage of the season.

With Martinez in DFA limbo, Anthony Bender, who turned 30 in February, is expected to be the oldest player on the Marlins Opening Day roster.

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