The Philadelphia Phillies have found their infield bat. In an effort to bolster their hitting production, the Phillies acquired infielder Asdrubal Cabrera from the New York Mets, in exchange for RHP Franklyn Kilome.
Philadelphia Phillies Acquire Asdrubal Cabrera
At 32 years old, Cabrera is having a terrific season, hitting .277/.329/.488 with 18 home runs, 58 RBI and an OPS+ of 124. Phillies Manager Gabe Kapler has many options with Cabrera since he can play many positions in the infield. The infielder is used to playing shortstop, but he can also play second and third base.
“He has a track record of proven success in the batter’s box,” Phillies general manager Matt Klentak said in a phone call Friday with Phillies beat reporters. “He’s a switch-hitter, which means every time he is in the batter’s box, we will have the platoon advantage. When he’s not playing, I think he’ll be a very dangerous bat off the bench. He’s an excellent roster fit for this current group of Phillies, and notably, I think, his positional flexibility puts us in a position where we can continue to let our young players play. This acquisition doesn’t relegate any of our young players to a full-time bench role, and I think that is important, too.”
The Mets receive a young pitching prospect in Kilome, who has a 4-6 record this season, with a 4.24 ERA for Double-A Reading.
“He’s athletic. He’s got a power arm and he’s a starting pitcher, which is something in the last number of trades that we’ve made, we’ve been targeting more relievers. This gives us a starter that’s in Double-A and is fairly close to being ready for the big leagues,” said Mets assistant general manager John Ricco.
Last Word
The Phillies are on the precipice of getting back to the postseason for the first time since 2011. For a team desperately seeking much-needed offense from their infield hitters, Cabrera is the perfect match, who could use his efficient hitting and versatile defending to take the Phillies deep into the postseason.
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