Phillies acquire Soto from Tigers in 5-player trade

The Philadelphia Phillies are bolstering their bullpen in a big way.

The Phillies acquired All-Star reliever Gregory Soto and infielder Kody Clemens from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for infielder/outfielder Nick Maton, outfielder Matt Vierling, and catcher Donny Sands, the clubs announced Saturday.

Soto is coming off his second straight All-Star campaign with the Tigers. The 27-year-old saved 30 games with a 3.28 ERA and 60 strikeouts across 60 1/3 innings for Detroit in 2022. The hard-throwing left-hander has three years of club control remaining and won't reach free agency until the conclusion of the 2025 season.

Soto is the second notable addition to the bullpen this offseason by Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. The club also signed former All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel to a one-year, $10-million contract.

The trade of Soto marks the second major departure from Detroit's underrated 2022 bullpen. The club also dealt reliever Joe Jimenez to the Atlanta Braves in December.

Clemens is the son of seven-time Cy Young winner Roger Clemens. The 26-year-old made his MLB debut for the Tigers last season. He struggled to the tune of a .505 OPS with five home runs and 17 RBIs in 127 plate appearances.

Maton, 25, enjoyed a solid season in 2022. He posted an .855 OPS with five home runs and 17 RBIs in his second MLB campaign.

Vierling should provide Tigers manager A.J. Hinch with another capable option in center field. The 26-year-old hit six home runs and stole seven bases across 117 games for the Phillies last season. Vierling also graded out favorably in average exit velocity, hard hit percentage, and expected batting average, according to Baseball Savant.

Sands is likely to serve as organizational depth at the catching position for the Tigers. The 26-year-old hit .308 with six home runs and 36 RBIs across two minor-league levels last season.