The Phillies have acquired left-handed pitcher José Álvarez from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for right-handed pitcher Luis García, the club announced tonight.
Álvarez, 29, appeared in 76 games for the Angels last season, posting a 2.71 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 63.0 innings pitched. He allowed only three home runs to the 261 batters he faced while holding left-handed hitters to a .206/.265/.338 slash line and right-handers to a .232/.321/.303 line.
He posted a career-best 1.4 bWAR, which ranked 10th-best among all left-handed relievers in the majors in 2018. Additionally, his 2.71 ERA ranked fourth among all left-handed American League relievers and his 3.09 FIP ranked eighth.
A veteran of six Major League seasons, Álvarez has a career 3.69 ERA over 284 combined appearances for the Detroit Tigers (2013) and Angels (2014-18). He was originally signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Red Sox in 2005.
García, originally signed by the Phillies in 2013 as a Minor League free agent, appeared in 251 games for the Phillies over six seasons (2013-18) and posted a 4.12 ERA. He was the 2014 recipient of the Paul Owens Award, given annually to the best pitcher in the Phillies minor league system.