Gregory Soto is packing his bags for the Charm City.
And lucky for him, he’s joining another first-place squad.
The Philadelphia Phillies traded the former Detroit Tigers closer and two-time All-Star to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Seth Johnson and Moises Chace, a pair of pitching prospects, just ahead of Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline.
The 29-year-old appeared in 112 games for the Phillies since being acquired in a trade with Detroit prior to the 2023 season and held a 4.42 earned-run average over 95 2/3 innings with 109 strikeouts to 44 walks.
In Philadelphia, Soto was asked to change his role from a primary closer to a late-inning reliever –– a transition he struggled with during his year-plus tenure with the Phillies.
The left-hander held a 4.08 ERA with 44 strikeouts and 20 walks in 35 1/3 innings this season, which ultimately led to the Phillies’ decision to trade him and replace him with left-hander Tanner Banks.
Soto, who signed a one-year, $3.925 million contract with the Phillies ahead of the 2024 season, was traded from the Tigers in a package that included Kody Clemens to Philadelphia for outfielder Matt Vierling, infielder Nick Maton and catcher Donny Sands in January, 2023.
But in Detroit, Soto flourished.
The Tigers signed Soto as an international free agent in December of 2012, and he spent seven-plus years in the minor leagues before making his major league debut on May 11, 2019.
He’d make the opening day roster in 2021, and enjoyed perhaps his stretch as a pro to start the season –– he was 4-1 with a 2.18 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 33 innings, while also being six-for-six in save opportunities.
Soto was named to the 2021 American League All-Star team for his stellar start, but suffered a fractured finger later after getting hit by a line drive and was shut down for the remainder of the year.
His pitching prowess continued in 2022, where he resumed his duties as the Tigers’ primary closer and was selected for his second All-Star game. At the time of the selection, Soto had 17 saves in 19 opportunities with a 2.67 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings.
Soto pitched in 64 games for the Tigers in 2022, racking up 30 saves and a 3.28 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 60 1/3 innings.
In Detroit, Soto held a 3.34 ERA and recorded 48 saves in 52 opportunities for an elite 92.3 percent save rate and remains one of the hardest throwing left-handed relievers in the MLB.
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