Phillies release former SF Giants left-handed pitching prospect

The Philadelphia Phillies released former SF Giants left-handed pitching prospect Michael Plassmeyer earlier this week.

The Philadelphia Phillies released left-handed pitcher Michael Plassmeyer off their 40-man roster on Tuesday to make space on their 40-man roster for catcher Rafael Marchán's return from the 60-day injured list. The Phillies acquired Plassmeyer in a trade with the SF Giants last year. He spent parts of the 2021 and 2022 season with the Giants organization.

Phillies reliever Michael Plassmeyer throws a pitch during spring training. (2023) / Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

In 2021 he pitched for the Richmond Flying Squirrels (Double-A), and in 2022 he was with the Sacramento River Cats (Triple-A). Plassmeyer made his way to the Giants via a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays mid-season 2021 in which the Giants gave up right-handed reliever Matt Wisler and cash. 

At Double-A with Richmond, Plassmeyer sported a 5.08 ERA over 79.2 innings pitched, giving up 51 runs off 90 hits and 16 walks. He did not fare much better in his start to the 2022 season with Sacramento. Over 46.1 innings he had a 7.38 ERA, allowing 39 runs off 50 hits and 24 walks. 

After his performance at Triple-A, the Giants ultimately decided to move on from Plassmeyer, trading him to the Phillies for catcher Austin Wynns in June of 2022. Wynns served as the Giants backup catcher for the remainder of the season, although he was designated for assignment earlier this year.

Plassmeyer's numbers in the Phillies organization were significantly stronger; in the latter half of 2022 he pitched 82.0 innings and sported a 2.41 ERA, only giving up 13 more runs than he did in Sacramento in nearly double the innings. 

But in the beginning of 2023, again with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, he regressed. He pitched 44.0 innings of 6.95 ERA ball, and the Phillies made the decision to move on. Plassmeyer was on the injured list at the time of his release. Teams are not allowed to designate injured players for assignment, so the Phillies decided to release him. Now, he is eligible to sign a contract with any team. Perhaps a reunion with the SF Giants is in store.