The Detroit Tigers and Philadelphia Phillies agreed to a trade on Saturday. The Phillies are sending Nick Maton, Matt Vierling, and Donny Sands to Detroit for Gregory Soto and Kody Clemens.
The deal helps bolster Philadelphia's bullpen. Soto, a left-handed reliever, will fit in nicely next to newly acquired Matt Strahm and Craig Kimbrel. The Tigers are receiving multiple young players with some experience in the big leagues, all of whom will contribute to the team.
The major piece in this deal is Soto to Philadelphia. The two-time All-Star reliever is coming off a career-low ERA (3.28) and appearances (64). The Phillies are doing all they can to make it to the World Series again next season.
Baseball fans on Twitter were split on the trade. Some saw it as a great deal for the Phillies, while others thought the Phillies involved too many players. Either way, it's always fun to see teams agreeing to trades in the off-season.
"Tigers getting some good dudes back," one fan tweeted.
"Holy steal," another fan said.
All three players the Detroit Tigers are receiving were on the Phillies' 40-man roster last season. They're all ready to make an impact in Detroit.
Philadelphia Phillies fans don't want to see guys like Matt Vierling and Nick Maton go. In 35 games for the Phillies, Maton hit .250 with five home runs. Given the Detroit Tigers have shortstop Javier Baez, we could see Maton take some games at third base.
After this trade with the Detroit Tigers, the Philadelphia Phillies are ready to make some noise
The Phillies got a lot better this off-season after signing All-Star shortstop Trea Turner. The two sides agreed to an 11-year, $300 million deal. He'll reunite with his old teammates Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
The National League East will be wild next season. The Phillies are looking to get back to the World Series, while the New York Mets haven't blinked an eye acquiring players this off-season. The Atlanta Braves are also a team that can't be ruled out with their core of stars and young, proven prospects.
Will the Philadelphia Phillies have enough to overtake the division? It's going to be a battle that will likely come down to the last few games of the season. It'll be interesting to see who comes out on top in the NL East next season.