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The Phillies took a step forward in the quest to upgrade what was the worst field in the majors last season.
The team, confirmed by multiple sources, reached an agreement on a one-year contract with free reliever Archie Bradley on Thursday. The deal, worth $ 6 million, depends on a physique.
Once signed, Bradley will become the first free agent signed by the Phillies in what has been a very slow market this winter. Many teams have cut spending after losing income in the 2020 season, which was reduced to 60 games due to the pandemic. Five weeks before the start of spring training, most of the top free agents remain unsigned, including All-Star wide receiver JT Realmuto. The Phillies are trying to sign him again.
If Realmuto returns, he will find himself catching up to fellow Oklahoman in Bradley, a 6-4 right-hander who was a first-round pick (7th overall) by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011.
Bradley came into the majors as a starter, but made a dramatic transition to the reliever box in 2017. He’s registered a 1.76 ERA in 63 games this season. Over the past four seasons, he has placed eighth among the big league relievers in innings (233⅓) and 14th in ERA (2.82). His WHIP over that span (including one start) is 1.197 and he’s recorded 9.9 strikeouts and 3.1 walks per nine innings.
Bradley, 28, is the third reliever acquired by the club since Dave Dombrowski took over as president of baseball operations last month. Previously, the Phillies picked up two hard pitchers, left-hander Jose Alvarado and right-hander Sam Coonrod, in trades with Tampa Bay and San Francisco, respectively. Bradley is by far the most accomplished of the vans and will give manager Joe Girardi another option at the end of the innings to accompany Hector Neris. Bradley worked as an installer and closer in his career.
The Phillies’ reading box averaged 7.06 in 2020, the worst in the majors, and single-handedly held the club out of the playoffs. The Phils have lost 21 games in which they held a lead at one point. It was most in the majors.
Bradley is a power pitcher. His fastball was averaging 94.4 mph in 2020. He also uses a curveball and throws a shift.
Bradley was one of the most wanted relievers on the trade deadline last summer. He was distributed from Arizona to Cincinnati and pitched 7⅔ innings for the Reds down the home stretch. He gave up just four hits and one run, put out six and didn’t walk. In a move to cut costs, the Reds did not offer Bradley a contract in early December and he became a free agent. Now he appears to be part of the solution in Philadelphia, where he will reunite with Caleb Cotham, the Phillies’ new pitching coach. Cotham was the assistant pitching coach for Cincinnati last season.
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