Philadelphia Phillies just got some help for their struggling starting rotation, managing to acquire veteran pitcher Jason Vargas from the New York Mets.
Vargas became available after the Mets got Marcus Stroman from Toronto Blue Jays over the weekend, and Philadelphia didn’t want to pass up on the opportunity. As part of the trade, Philly also received cash consideration while sending minor league catcher Austin Bossart to New York.
Vargas played 19 games with the Mets this season and boosted 6-5 record with 4.01 ERA and 81 strikeouts.
“Jason Vargas is battle-tested and has been relatively effective for the better part of a decade now,” – said Phillies’ general manager Matt Klentak in a statement. “He gives his team a chance to win the game every time he takes the ball. I like the fact it’s a different look. He’s a soft-tossing lefty. We have a lot of hard-throwing righties. He’s a good complement to our pitching staff.”
Philadelphia Phillies currently have the league’s fifth-worst 4.59 ERA for starting pitchers, and the Klentak was considering several other options before Vargas entered the picture. While the 36-year-old had a poor start of the season, his form is on the rise in a recent couple of months. He is 5-3 with a 3.34 ERA in last 12 games he started.
Prior to bringing in Vargas, Phillies also signed Drew Smyly after he opted out of his minor deal with Milwaukee Brewers. Smyly had an encouraging first start in Philadelphia, allowing just one run in six innings in last week’s game against Pittsburgh Pirates.
