Former Philadelphia Phillies Starter Moved Ahead of Trade Deadline

A former Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher was moved at the MLB trade deadline.

Jul 24, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher Zach Eflin (24) throws a pitch against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre. / Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Rays have begun their fire sale, and the latest player on the move was a former Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic announced a deal on Friday that saw the Rays send Zach Eflin to the Baltimore Orioles. ESPN's Jeff Passan later added that a prospect haul of outfielder Matthew Etzel, right-handed pitcher Jackson Baumeister and infielder Mac Horvath would be included in the trade.

The Orioles were in dire need of starting pitching after their rotation was decimated by injuries throughout the year. This could potentially be one of a few trades they make for a starter over the next couple of days.

Eflin spent seven seasons with the Phillies and was a very solid pitcher during his time with the team. He was never an All-Star player during his tenure, but has remained a reliable back-end starter.

Philadelphia originally acquired him in a whirlwing of moves back in 2014.

The first trade saw the San Diego Padres send Eflin, Joe Wieland and Yasmani Grandal to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Matt Kemp, Tim Federowicz and cash considerations.

Within a day, Eflin was later moved alongside Tom Windle to the Phillies in exchange for Jimmy Rollins.

Windle never made the Majors after spending a few years in the minors. His last appearance in the minors came back in 2022 at age 30.

The Dodgers didn't get a great season out of Rollins since it was at the tail end of his career. He had a slash line of .224/.285/.358 and was on to the Chicago White Sox next year for his last season in the Majors.

When looking back, it's clear Philadelphia won the trade involving Eflin. Across his seven seasons with the Phillies, he had a 4.49 ERA and 1.295 WHIP.

He's never been a pitcher that focuses on strikeouts first, but did have his best year in a while during 2023 with Tampa Bay.

The Florida native finished sixth in the AL Cy Young voting a season ago after the best year of his career. He had a 3.50 ERA and just 1.024 WHIP.

Eflin hasn't been exactly as dominant in 2024, but still doesn't give up many home runs and doesn't walk very many batters.

The Orioles will be able to get a lot from him down the stretch and the in playoffs, as one of the most likely teams that Philadelphia could have to face in the World Series.