Inside The Phillies

Former Phillies Pitcher Gets Shipped To Mets in Early Trade Deadline Deal

The Philadelphia Phillies will see a familiar face in their rival's dugout.
Brad Wakai|
Jul 24, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Gregory Soto (30) delivers against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning at Target Field
Jul 24, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Philadelphia Phillies relief pitcher Gregory Soto (30) delivers against the Minnesota Twins during the ninth inning at Target Field | Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

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Philadelphia PhilliesNew York Mets

For the second year in a row, former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Gregory Soto has been dealt ahead of the trade deadline.

Last season, it was the Phillies who shipped him out of town, sending him to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for minor league pitchers Seth Johnson and Moises Chace.

Now, the Orioles have decided to flip the flamethrowing lefty, shipping him to the New York Mets as was first reported by Andy Martino of SNY.

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This is now an interesting plot in the NL East race.

Things did not end on the best of terms between Soto and Philadelphia, so now that he's back in the division and pitching for their archrival, that could set the stage for some fireworks down the line.

Both the Phillies and Mets were expected to aggressively pursue upgrades ahead of the trade deadline to reshape their bullpens, and both have added outside pieces to the equation.

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First, it was Philadelphia who signed David Robertson, giving them a potential high-leverage arm without having to give up assets. New York responded by trading for Soto, giving up their 19th-ranked prospect Wellington Aracena and another intriguing minor league pitcher, Cameron Foster, to get it done.

Soto has had a bounce back season with Baltimore, posting a 3.96 ERA and 99 ERA+ across his 45 outings, striking out 44 batters in 36 1/3 innings pitched.

But Philadelphia also knows he can be volatile, and if the left-hander performs the way he did in 2024, then the Mets didn't add a game-changer to their bullpen by any means.

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This addition is interesting nonetheless.

With Soto back in the NL East pitching for New York, that sets up some juicy storylines for later in the year.

For more Phillies news, head over to Phillies On SI.

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Brad Wakai
BRAD WAKAI

Brad Wakai graduated from Penn State University with a degree in Journalism. While an undergrad, he did work at the student radio station covering different Penn State athletic programs like football, basketball, volleyball, soccer and other sports. Brad currently is the Lead Contributor for Nittany Lions Wire of Gannett Media where he continues to cover Penn State athletics. He is also a contributor at FanSided, writing about the Philadelphia 76ers for The Sixers Sense. Brad is the host of the sports podcast I Said What I Said, discussing topics across the NFL, College Football, the NBA and other sports. You can follow him on Twitter: @bwakai

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