Phillies Add Veteran Arm In Clay Buchholz

THE DEAL

Much like their 2015 offseason deal for Jeremy Hellickson, the Phillies on Tuesday acquired a veteran righthander on an expiring contract. Philadelphia sent high Class A second baseman Josh Tobias to Boston for 32-year-old Clay Buchholz, coming off an uneven season that he split between the rotation and bullpen.

For Boston, trading Buchholz saves $13.5 million in payroll and unclogs a rotation that had too many arms for too few spots, especially after the blockbuster deal for Chris Sale.

“We had seven established big league starters. We felt like we had some depth there,” Red Sox president Dave Dombrowski told reporters. “The deal that made the most sense was Clay.”

As with Hellickson—acquired from Arizona for righthander Sam McWilliams in November 2015—the Phillies are buying low with Buchholz, hoping a switch to a league without a designated hitter and some unfamiliarity allows for a bounce back in a contract year. Hellickson worked out so well, the Phillies re-signed him for 2017 and now will pair him with Buchholz for veterans to go with young righthander Vince Velasquez and others.

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RED SOX ACQUIRE Josh Tobias, 2b Age: 24

A 10th-round pick of the Phillies in 2015 out of Florida, Tobias signed for just $10,000 despite having a terrific senior season. Tobias doesn’t have loud tools, but has a feel to hit. Despite an aggressive approach, he works the count and walks. His defense has improved but is below-average at second base, and he’s an average runner, but a little better than that underway. He’s been compared to Marlon Anderson or Johnny Giavotella as a bat-first second baseman who will have to hit enough to make up for his defensive limitations.

2016 Club	AVG	OBP	SLG	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB
Lakewood (LoA)	.304	.375	.444	365	49	111	24	3	7	55	31	59	6
Clearwater (HiA)	.254	.324	.357	126	21	32	7	0	2	14	12	30	4

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PHILLIES ACQUIRE Clay Buchholz, rhp Age: 32

Buchholz as recently as 2015 was an effective starter, posting a 7-7, 3.26 mark in the rugged AL East. But 2016 was arguably his worst as he expressed unhappiness about being removed from the rotation and bouncing to the bullpen and back. Buchholz saw his strikeout percentage dip to its lowest ever since he reached the majors, his walk rate spiked to its highest level since 2010 and his home run rate was a career worst. Still, some promising signs exist, including just a .246 opponent average and a 5-1, 3.22 mark after the All-Star break. If Buchholz has a good first half, he could become a valuable trade chip at the deadline.

2016 Club	W	L	ERA	G	GS	SV	IP	H	HR	BB	SO	AVG
Boston (MAJ)	8	10	4.78	37	21	0	139.1	130	21	55	93	.246