The Philadelphia Phillies have traded outfielder Marlon Byrd to the Cincinnati Reds for minor league pitcher Ben Lively. The Phillies will also send cash in exchange for the Reds’ minor league Player of the Year. Byrd will be 38 next season and is scheduled to earn $8 million next season, with a vesting option for the same amount in 2016. The Reds were in need of a starting leftfielder and Byrd was the Phillies’ leading home run hitter in 2014 with 25, but also struck out 185 times.
The need for a player such as Byrd made the Reds willing to trade Lively, a right-handed starter who was rated the eighth best prospect in the Cincinnati organization in 2014. Lively started 26 games last season, split equally between single-A and double-A and finishing with a record of 13-7 with a 3.04 ERA. Lively struck out 171 batters in 151 innings while walking just 52.
This deal gives the Phillies another young pitching prospect as they begin a much-needed makeover. They have acquired four young prospects so far this offseason in trades involving Jimmy Rollins, Antonio Bastardo and now Byrd. The four prospects are likely to join 2014 first round pick Aaron Nola in double-A Reading’s starting rotation.