Former Philadelphia Phillies Starter Finds New Home With Cleveland Guardians

A former Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher signed with the Cleveland Guardians earlier this week.

Jul 30, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Vince Velasquez (21) delivers a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. / Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are no strangers to sharing pitchers with the reigning American League Central champion Cleveland Guardians.

The teams came together on a trade in 2009 that brought ace Cliff Lee to the Phillies, sending future star Carlos Carrasco to the Guardians in return.

Even as recently as 2024, Philadelphia faced Ben Lively when Cleveland came to town in July, a pitcher who spent parts of the first two seasons of his Major League career with the Phillies.

The teams are gearing up to add another pitcher to that list in 2025 after the Guardians signed former Philadelphia starter Vince Velasquez to a minor league deal with an invite to spring training.

Velasquez was drafted by the Houston Astros in the second round of the 2010 MLB draft out of Garey High School in Pomona, California. After making his Major League debut with the Astros in 2015, he was included as part of the trade package to the Phillies for Jonathan Arauz and flamethrowing closer Ken Giles.

Velasquez would spend the next six years up and down between Triple-A and the Major League roster, in and out of the starting rotation in Philadelphia.

During those six seasons, the veteran pitched to a 4.93 ERA across 582 2/3 innings in 133 games (116 starts) with 642 strikeouts and an 86 ERA+.

For his career, Velasquez has pitched to a 4.88 ERA across 763 2/3 innings in 191 games (144 starts) with 822 strikeouts and an 86 ERA+.

Cleveland will make the pitcher's sixth team should he make the Major League roster, joining Houston, the Phillies, the San Diego Padres, the Chicago White Sox, and the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Velasquez shared a locker room with Lively in 2017 and 2018 in Philadelphia, and the Guardians have seemingly turned the latter's career around after a 2024 that saw the pitcher post a career-best 3.81 ERA.

Velasquez will be looking to make that same kind of improvement with his new squad and their outstanding pitching development program.

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