The Phillies officially added two arms to their bullpen for the 2023 season on Wednesday.
The club officially announced the signing of Craig Kimbrel and the acquisition of right-hander Erich Wellman in a trade from the Chicago Cubs.
Kimbrel’s deal is for one year and $10 million. With the Dodgers in 2022, Kimbrel went 6-7 with 22 saves in 27 opportunities and a 3.75 ERA in 63 games (60.0 innings), eventually relinquishing the role of closer.
The Phillies are Kimbrel’s seventh team in his 14th big league season. The eight-time All-Star and 2011 National League Rookie of the Year won the 2018 World Series with Boston.
With 394 saves, Kimbrel is MLB’s active saves leader and seventh all-time. He led the National League in saves four straight seasons from 2011-14. He ranks second in major league history in strikeouts per nine innings (14.36), among pitchers with at least 500 career innings.
At Citizens Bank Park, Kimbrel has a 15-for-15 save opportunity. He went 19.1 innings pitched (10 hits, eight walks, 29 strikeouts) in 21 career appearances at Bank.
Wellman was acquired for cash from the Cubs, who designated him for assignment. The 26-year-old right-hander made 25 appearances in his first season in the majors in 2022, going 2-1 with a 4.67 ERA in 27 innings. Betters hit .210 against him last year.
A fourth-round pick out of Cal Poly in 2017, Wellman was a starter through 2019 and started 11 of 31 minor league games in 2021. He has the ability to provide length in the bullpen or a spot start in the back end of the lineup. rotation.
To make room on the 40-man roster, pitchers Vinny Nittoli and Francisco Morales were designated for assignment. Nittoli, acquired from Toronto last August, pitched two scoreless innings in two games for the Phillies last year. Morales, who has been with the organization since 2016, gave up four earned runs in five innings over three outings last year, including a save on May 13 against the Dodgers.
