Phillies Acquire Reliever José Alvarado From Tampa Bay Rays In 3-Team Trade
PHILADELPHIA (CBS/AP) — Dave Dombrowski is wasting no time retooling the Phillies. The team acquired some badly-needed bullpen help Tuesday, acquiring José Alvarado from the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team deal.
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired pitcher Garrett Cleavinger from the Phillies in the three-way trade.
Alvarado was limited to nine appearances last season because of left shoulder inflammation, going 0-0 with a 6.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts. The 25-year-old was added to the Rays' American League Championship Series roster and made two scoreless appearances over 1 2/3 innings.
The Phillies' historically bad bullpen posted a league-worst 7.06 ERA in 2020.
He is 2-15 with a 3.46 ERA and 15 saves over parts of four major league seasons with the Rays, who signed him out of Venezuela in 2012.
The Dodgers will send minor league infielder Dillon Paulson and a player to be named or cash to Tampa Bay, while the Rays will send left-handed pitcher José Alvarado to Philadelphia to complete the transaction.
Cleavinger, a 26-year-old left-hander, made his major league debut last season for the Phillies, tossing two-thirds of an inning with one strikeout on Sept. 17 against the Mets.
In five minor league seasons with the Phillies, Cleavinger posted a 19-12 record with a 4.08 ERA and 294 strikeouts in 140 games. He spent all 2019 with Double-A Reading, with a 3-2 record in 34 appearances. He struck out 83. Cleavinger was originally drafted in the third round in 2015 out of Oregon.
Paulson played in 175 minor-league games with the Dodgers, hitting a combined .253 with 26 homers and 125 RBIs. In 2019, he split time between Low-A Great Lakes and High-A Rancho Cucamonga. The 23-year-old was originally drafted in the 13th round in 2018 out of Southern California.
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