Chicago Cubs Trade Pitcher to Philadelphia Phillies for Cash

The Chicago Cubs traded right-handed pitcher Erich Uelmen to the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday for cash considerations, The Athletic's Matt Gelb reports. Uelmen, 26, made his Major League debut in 2022 and is under club control through 2027.

The Chicago Cubs traded right-handed pitcher Erich Uelmen to the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday for cash considerations, The Athletic's Matt Gelb reports.

Phillies make a small trade: pic.twitter.com/dU7nONbW4M

— Matt Gelb (@MattGelb) January 4, 2023

Uelmen, 26, made his Major League debut in 2022 and is under club control through 2027.

In 25 appearances in 2022, Uelmen logged a 4.67 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 89 ERA+ over 27 innings. Uelmen made all of his appearances out of the Cubs' bullpen, starting zero games.

The Cubs selected Uelmen in the fourth round of the 2017 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft out of California Polytechnic State University.

Uelmen was designated for assignment by the Cubs on Dec. 23, after the club finalized its re-signing of Drew Smyly to a two-year, $17 million contract.

The Phillies are hoping to improve their bullpen from a season ago. They also finalized the contract of recently signed free agent Craig Kimbrel, another former member of the Chicago Cubs. Kimbrel agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with the Phillies. Kimbrel is coming off a down year, but hopes to recapture his stuff from the first half of 2021, when he discovered the fountain of youth and logged a 0.49 ERA and 24 saves in 39 appearances with the Cubs, before he was traded to the Chicago White Sox for Nick Madrigal and Codi Heuer prior to the trade deadline.

The Phillies made a magical run to the World Series last October as the National League's sixth seed and third and final Wild Card team. The club lost to the Astros in the Fall Classic in six games. Executive Dave Domrbowski has had a very active offseason, signing free agents Trea Turner and Taijuan Walker, in hopes of getting his team over the hump.

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