The Philadelphia Phillies continued reshaping their bullpen by trading minor league outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu to the Arizona Diamondbacks for left-handed reliever Kyle Backhus. This move follows recent additions including the signing of Brad Keller and a trade for Jonathan Bowlan. Backhus brings a unique sidearm delivery to the Phillies' pitching staff.
The Philadelphia Phillies have been active in bolstering their bullpen ahead of the offseason. On Friday, they traded minor league outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for left-hander Kyle Backhus. Owusu-Asiedu, ranked No. 27 on Arizona's Top 30 Prospects list, slots into the Diamondbacks' system as a promising outfield prospect.
This transaction caps a busy couple of days for the Phillies. On Thursday, they signed right-handed setup man Brad Keller to a two-year, $22 million contract. Earlier Friday, they sent All-Star reliever Matt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals for right-hander Jonathan Bowlan. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski commented on the bullpen outlook, stating, “We have six guys that are pretty well set at this time that I would think would be part of our bullpen.” Those include closer Jhoan Duran; right-handers Keller, Bowlan, and Orion Kerkering; and left-handers José Alvarado and Tanner Banks.
Backhus, 27, made his MLB debut this season with the Diamondbacks, appearing in 32 relief outings. He posted a 4.62 ERA, two saves, 22 strikeouts, and eight walks over 25 1/3 innings. Notably, he held left-handed hitters to a .139 batting average and .503 OPS, though right-handers fared better at .365 with a .988 OPS. Backhus features a low-90s sinker, upper-70s sweeper, and changeup from a sidearm slot, with one of the lowest release points in baseball at 4.32 feet—the third-lowest among lefties who threw at least 400 pitches this year.
Backhus will vie for a bullpen spot in spring training alongside Rule 5 pick Zach McCambley, recently acquired Yoniel Curet, and others like Nolan Hoffman, Seth Johnson, and Max Lazar. Dombrowski added, “We do have some people that we think can blend into the big leagues from the Minor League system... It’ll be interesting to see who steps up and does it in the spring.” The Phillies currently have 38 players on their 40-man roster.
In related news, the organization remains optimistic about hiring Don Mattingly as bench coach, though details are pending. Separately, former Phillies assistant general manager Anirudh Kilambi was hired by the Washington Nationals as their general manager, a move he described as exciting due to the organization's vision.