Phillies add Tucker to bench for stretch drive

By Jim Callis
August 27, 2005

The National League wild card-leading Phillies made a move to bolster their bench on Saturday, picking up Michael Tucker from the Giants in exchange for minor league righthander Kelvin Pichardo. San Francisco also included $50,000 toward the remainder of Tucker's 2005 salary.

Tucker, 34, can back up all three outfield spots and serve as a lefty pinch-hitter for the Phillies. He doesn't hit for much of an average, but he does offer decent pop and patience at the plate. He runs well and covers a solid amount of ground defensively, though his arm is mediocre. In 102 games for San Francisco this year, he batted .240/.317/.372 with five homers and 33 RBIs. He's making $2 million this season as his two-year, $3.5 million contract expires. He's a lifetime .257/.339/.426 hitter with 124 homers, 519 RBIs and 112 steals in 1,360 games.

Pichardo, 19, signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2003. He has a live arm and spent his second straight season in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. In 2005, he went 3-2, 4.17 in 10 games (nine starts). He had a 37-3 strikeout-walk ratio in 54 innings, while GCL hitters batted .273 with four homers against him.