Philadelphia Phillies make move to improve pitching staff

The Philadelphia Phillies‘ biggest flaw over the past few seasons has been their pitching staff. The rotation has two solid arms, but a plethora of question marks afterwards. Relief pitching has been an ongoing disaster, as the Phillies’ bullpen has more closely resembled a dumpster fire than a collection of major league caliber arms. If they are to make any type of a run at the postseason, both areas need to be addressed.

The Phillies took a step towards doing so that the trade deadline. They have acquired Ian Kennedy and Kyle Gibson from the Rangers for a collection of prospects, headlined by Spencer Howard.

Philadelphia Phillies hope this is enough

At the very least, Kennedy and Gibson should be an improvement over what they currently have. Gibson likely slots in as their third starter at this point, while Kennedy would be an improvement over Hector Neris at closer.

One of the biggest surprises in baseball this year, Gibson has gone from a relatively middling arm to one of the better pitchers in the AL before he was traded. He had posted a 2.87 ERA and a 1.177 WHiP in his 113 innings, striking out 94 batters with 41 walks while allowing just nine homers on the season.

Kennedy continued his resurgence since being transferred to the bullpen. He was a solid closer for the Rangers, notching 16 saves while posting a 2.51 ERA and a 1.052 WHiP over his 32.1 innings, striking out 35 batters with seven walks. His presence improved the Phillies’ chances in the ninth inning as Neris has not exactly been able to seize that role in any of his numerous chances.

However, it is fair to wonder if this is close to enough. The Phillies needed far more than one starter and one reliever to improve in the NL East. While Gibson is under team control for 2022, this move is just another bandage hastily slapped on a deep wound.

The Philadelphia Phillies did something by acquiring Kyle Gibson and Ian Kennedy. It is just not enough to make a difference in the NL East.