The Philadelphia Phillies have acquired left-handed reliever Tanner Banks from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for 19-year-old infield prospect William Bergolla.
Banks, 32, has been a reliable middle reliever for the White Sox over the past three years, boasting a 3.89 ERA and a 3.67 SIERA in 162 innings. Although his ERA is a modest 4.13 this season, his 26.8% strikeout rate, 3.23 xERA, and 3.12 SIERA are career bests. Notably, he has pitched multiple innings in 16 of his 41 appearances this year. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Banks is expected to serve as a multi-inning option out of the Phillies’ bullpen and could potentially return to starting at some point.
Banks has been particularly effective against left-handed hitters this season, with a 33.7% strikeout rate and a 1.90 FIP. Lefties have managed only a .184 batting average against him.
The Phillies had previously bolstered their bullpen by acquiring Angels closer Carlos Estevez, but they were still in the market for additional help. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic mentioned that Philadelphia was looking for a lefty to complement their bullpen, especially due to José Alvarado’s recent struggles.
Adding Banks is a logical move for the Phillies, especially since they recently traded left-handed reliever Gregory Soto to the Orioles. Soto had solid underlying stats with a 3.63 SIERA but an unremarkable 4.42 ERA over 95 2/3 innings with Philadelphia. Banks offers better splits against lefties and the ability to pitch multiple innings, plus he is a pre-arbitration player, making him a more cost-effective option with more team control compared to Soto.
Bergolla, who signed with the Phillies as an international free agent in January 2022, was ranked as the team’s No. 10 prospect by Baseball America and No. 13 by FanGraphs before the season. Keith Law of The Athletic had a less favorable view, not including him in the top 20 Phillies’ prospects. Evaluators differ on Bergolla’s throwing arm, speed, and power potential, but his strong ability to make contact is widely recognized. He had a 7.5% strikeout rate in Single-A last season and an 11.2% rate at High-A in 2024.
The trade was first reported by Robert Murray of FanSided, with Scott Merkin of MLB.com initially suggesting Bergolla’s move to the White Sox, later confirmed by Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
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