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.
Phillies acquire Jose Alvarez from Angels
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.
December 7th, 2018