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Phillies Swap Pitchers in Second Trade
19 Dec, 2025
Summary
- Phillies acquired Kyle Backhus from Arizona.
- Matt Strahm was traded to the Royals earlier.
- Backhus excels against left-handed hitters.
The Philadelphia Phillies have bolstered their pitching staff by acquiring left-handed reliever Kyle Backhus from the Arizona Diamondbacks. This marks the second trade involving the Phillies' pitching roster this past Friday. The team also sent left-hander Matt Strahm to the Kansas City Royals earlier in the day.
Backhus, 27, brings valuable experience from 32 relief appearances with Arizona last season, where he posted a 4.62 ERA. His performance was particularly strong against left-handed batters, holding them to a .139 batting average, indicating a specialized role within the Philadelphia bullpen.
In the corresponding move, the Phillies sent minor league outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu to the Diamondbacks. Owusu-Asiedu, 22, has played across three minor league levels over the past three years, maintaining a .226 batting average in 997 plate appearances. He was originally selected by Philadelphia in the ninth round of the 2023 draft.
