The Phillies acquired three players before Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline at 6 p.m. ET. Brandon Marsh and Noah Syndergaard join Philadelphia from the Los Angeles Angels, while David Robertson comes by way of the Cubs. Robertson rejoins the Phillies after playing for them in 2019.
Syndergaard was the final addition of the day and acquired in exchange for 2016 first-round pick Mickey Moniak and minor league prospect Jadiel Sanchez. The Phillies and Blue Jays were reportedly the two finalists for his services.
Syndergaard was a mainstay in the Mets’ starting rotation for five seasons and was an All-Star in 2016. He spent most of the 2021 season in the Mets’ minor league system rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. Syndergaard signed a one-year, $21 million deal with the Angels last November. He returned to action this season, making 15 starts and recording a 3.83 ERA in 80 innings.
Before acquiring Syndergaard, the Phillies’ first move of the day was trading for his teammate in Marsh. Philadelphia sent highly regarded catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe to the Angels. Even though losing O’Hoppe hurts the farm system, Marsh is only 24 years old and still regarded as a talented outfield prospect.
Marsh made his major league debut last season, hitting .254 with two home runs and 19 RBI in 260 plate appearances. In 93 games this season, the young outfielder is slugging .226/.284/.353 with eight home runs and 37 RBI. Phillies manager Rob Thomson called Marsh the everyday centerfielder in his press conference on Tuesday as the team designated veteran outfielder Odubel Herrera for assignment.
Finally, Robertson has a history with not only the Phillies’ organization but also with interim manager Rob Thomson. Robertson began his career with the Yankees when Thomson was the team’s bench coach. The 37-year-old has been a journeyman reliever since his time with the Yankees, spending time with the Rays and Cubs over the past two years. This season with the Cubs, he has an ERA of 2.23 and 14 saves in 40.1 innings. The Phillies traded minor league pitching prospect Ben Brown to the Cubs in exchange for the veteran reliever.
