2:03pm: The Phillies have formally announced the trade.
12:30pm: The Yankees are sending right-hander David Hale to the Phillies, per Ken Rosenthal and Matt Gelb of The Athletic (Twitter link). Hale was designated for assignment earlier this week but has consistently posted solid numbers in the bullpen for the Yanks.
In 54 1/3 frames wearing Yankee pinstripes, Hale owns a 2.98 ERA and 3.54 FIP with averages of 6.0 strikeouts, 1.8 walks and 0.7 home runs allowed per nine innings pitched. The righty generates grounders at an above-average rate and has proven plenty capable of pitching multi-inning stints, so he should provide a boost to a Phillies bullpen that has far and away been the worst in baseball this season.
12:26pm: The Phillies have traded minor league right-hander Addison Russ to the Yankees, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports (via Twitter). The 25-year-old will head to the Yankees’ alternate training site for now. The Phillies’ return isn’t yet clear.
A 19th-round pick of the Phillies back in 2017, Russ spent the 2019 season in Double-A, where he pitched to a 2.54 ERA with 12.9 K/9, 3.2 BB/9, 0.79 HR/9 and a 44.9 percent ground-ball rate in 56 2/3 innings of work. He wasn’t considered to be among the Phillies’ top tier of prospects despite those solid numbers, however. Baseball America ranked him 24th in the system, while MLB.com omitted him from its top 30 and FanGraphs had him outside the top 40.
Russ was in the Phillies’ 60-man player pool, so the trade to New York opens a spot for them, unless of course they receive a 60-man player in return. For the Yankees, they’ll add a bullpen prospect with decent minor league success, providing a bit of depth in the wake of injuries to Tommy Kahnle and, more recently Zack Britton.
meatmachine
Yes, Klentak. Addison Russ was the issue all along. Worst GM in the game right now.
jdgoat
I get the Phillies bullpen is potentially the worst one in the league but giving up a guy with a career 2.48 ERA and who strikes out everybody he faces only for a slight upgrade who just got DFA’d probably isn’t the way to go to fix it.
skullbreathe
Have you actually seen David Russ pitch?
jbigz12
I bet you haven’t either because his name is Addison
DarkSide830
yes and he’s damn good
crumpy24
When we need bullpen help we trade one of the best relievers in the minor league system. I will not be happy if cash considerations are the return
crumpy24
I take it back. David Hale ain’t too bad. An veteran reliever with 3+ years of control left that has pitched effectively in the last 2 seasons is something I can’t complain about. Now please DFA Guerra Klentak.
mlb1029
You’re excited about David Hale?
WiffleBall
@MLB1029, You think that comment shows excitement for David Hale? I didn’t realize the phrase “I can’t complain” was synonymous with unbridled enthusiasm.
dirtbagfreitas
Hale will be back! see you soon buddy
lippy10195
One step at a time. At least it’s a start
Marvel's MAGA Man
I was confused as first cause I either thought the writer spelled Addison Russell wrong or he changed his name to Addison Russ.
solaris602
Same here. I asked myself, “How did I miss PHI picking up Russell in the first place, and why would the Yankees want him?”
Eatdust666
I was confused myself when I was first informed of it.
HubcapDiamondStarHalo
Okay, sorry, I can’t resist.
That’s a Hale of a trade…
Captain Dunsel
He does make the bullpen more hearty.
TurkeyClubSamich
I miss the Zack Granite puns.
johnsonjack87
I Would Be Happy To Trade Miguel Andujar,Clint Frazier,Albert Abreu & Domingo Acevedo To The New York Mets For Jacob DeGrom & Then Trade Estevan Florial,Luis Gil,Everson Pereira & Luis Medina To The Toronto Blue Jays For Ken Giles & Then Trade Alexander Vizcaino,Zack Granite,Adonis Rosa & Rosell Herrera To The San Francisco Giants For Tony Watson,To Give My New York Yankees Another Starter & 2 More Arms In The Bullpen.
gclark3
That’s no where close to enough for Degrom and too much for Giles. Giles isn’t healthy and it would be a big risk to trade for him. Also the giants don’t really have need for fringe players on one year minor league contracts like Granite and Herrera.
Sirsleepit
Lol thank god you’re not a GM
mlb1225
“I would be happy to completey obliterate our future for one actual ace and two rental relief pitchers, one of which is injured”
Begamin
how did u manage to have every first letter capitalized haha
trouble
Word
Perksy
Maybe he thought every punctuation was a period except for a period.
kevnames42
Glad it’s not Addison Russell
johnsonjack87
What Additional Prospect Should I Throw In For Jacob DeGrom?
gclark3
There is no possible prospect any team has for the Mets to trade Degrom he’s signed long term on an affordable deal compared to Cole the Mets have no reason to trade him especially to their cross town rival. Also the Wilpons won’t want to make any major move since they are about to sell the team and no new owner would start off my trading one of the best pitchers in the game when quality starters are short throughout the league
Briffle2
Surprised comments weren’t shut down for how close the name is to the name that we don’t speak.
ukpadre
The name we don’t speak? Well, I’m not sure Voldemort is currently pitching with anyone, but with the way the Phillies bullpen is, it can’t hurt to try him I guess!
Briffle2
Add an el
ukpadre
… yeah, we got it. I was just being daft and making a joke.
Eatdust666
Or they could try me, I throw hard and got a nasty changeup.
DarkSide830
areypu kidding. we finally add a good arm and its at the expense of Russ. what a joke. he’ll be amazing in that NYY pen.
AndyMeyer
. If Russ is so “amazing”, don’t you think he would’ve been in the pen trying to help by now?
And I don’t trust minor leaguers coming into the bigs ice cold with no minor league games to be played. Just ask Brogdon
DarkSide830
he’s better then Brogdon, i dont know what the rest of the people in Philly are thinking. Russ has no experience above AA, that’s the issue.
Ducky Buckin Fent
Hale has done a really good job for us, Philly fellas.
I guess it came down to Cessa or Hale. Apparently, the Yankees number crunching guys seem to prefer the former. *On-field results* paint a different picture. I think Hale can be an average to slightly above average middle reliever. That’s not nothin.
Uh?
No idea who Addison Russ is.
Insight would be welcome Phillies fellas.
DarkSide830
on the older side because he was drafted late, but has done well at each level he’s played at. believe he was an organizational all star in both of his full seasons in our system. seems more like a middle reliever from what ive heard but you never know.
Ducky Buckin Fent
Merci, @darkside.
Appreciate the first hand cliff notes. Middle relievers are certainly not without value.
Now I’m wondering how you perceive the trade in general.
DarkSide830
I like Hale but it annoys me it costed this much for him. I prefer him to the better portion of relievers in the system (including Connor Brogdon) and giving up that much value for someone who was in DFA limbo seems extreme. that said, Hale should provide more value this year and Russ isnt a given, so it doesnt kill me.
Ducky Buckin Fent
Well – jeeez – I *gotta* like that!
Uh?
Cashman is a good GM, man. And, the Yankees are super “value” driven these days. This “felt” like a good return? Just to reiterate, Hale has been fantastic for us. I don’t think he’s a chump, or whatever. He’s easy to root for too, serious.
yankee766766
Chad Greene seems to be the most consistent and effective pitcher on the Yankees. Pure case of numbers don’t lie. With the way the Yankee starting staff seems to be injury snake bitten…..how about inserting Green into a starting role…then go out and get a top notch RP which is needed now? I know and get and understand his true value as just about one of the top RP in baseball…..Worst case scenario…..is there any? When it comes to playoff time and a short series….a lockdown starter is a necessity. He just could be that guy