Phillies trade Antonio Bastardo to Pirates

The Phillies, who earlier today dealt long-time shortstop Jimmy Rollins to the Dodgers, have continued to unload veteran talent by shipping lefty reliever Antonio Bastardo to the Pirates in exchange for minor league pitcher Joely Rodriguez.

Bastardo is 29 years old and is in his third and final year of arbitration eligibility. He made $1.4 million in 2013 and $2 million in 2014, so a raise to $2.5 million or maybe even $3 million for 2015 is probably in the offing. His career has been defined by dominantly high strikeout rates and frustratingly terrible walk rates. He has averaged more than eleven strikeouts—but also more than four walks—per nine innings in his 259 frames over six seasons in Philadelphia.

In 28 innings against the Mets, Bastardo has a 3.18 ERA with 35 strikeouts and 16 walks, so he's been exactly the sort of pitcher against them as he's been against everyone else.

Rodriguez, a 23-year-old Dominican lefty, has had a similar ratio of strikeouts to walks in the minors as Bastardo has had in the majors. However, Rodriguez's numbers are around half of Bastardo's—he has struck out only around five batters and walking a little more than two batters every nine innings. Before the season he rated an honorable mention on John Sickels's top prospects list for the Pirates, not quite cracking the Top 20.