Miami deals Phelps to Seattle for four prospects

MIAMI — The Miami Marlins’ highly touted bullpen has been a bust, and so the dismantling began Thursday.

A seller once again as the trade deadline approaches, Miami sent righthander David Phelps to the Seattle Mariners for four prospects, including highly regarded outfielder Brayan Hernandez.

Also acquired by the Marlins to shore up their weak farm system were right-handed pitching prospects Pablo Lopez, Brandon Miller and Lukas Schiraldi.

Phelps is 2-4 with a 3.45 ERA in 44 games and 47 innings this season, all in relief. The bullpen was expected to be a strength, but it faltered and the Marlins appear destined to miss the playoffs for the 14th year in a row, the longest such drought in the NL.

Closer A.J. Ramos also is a target of trade talk.

The Mariners shored up their bullpen at the start of a 10-game homestand that began against the New York Yankees and leads into the trade deadline. After a 5-1 trip following the All-Star break, the Mariners are 48-48 and 1½ games behind the Yankees in the AL wild-card standings.

“David was a target player for us headed into the deadline period,” Mariners General Manager Jerry Dipoto said in a statement. “The quality of his work, particularly over the past two years in the bullpen, in addition to his versatility — including his background as starter — made him very attractive to us.”

Phelps will join a bullpen that was overworked during the first half of the season as the Mariners dealt with major injuries to the rotation. They’re fifth in the AL in innings pitched by the bullpen.

Seattle has solidified its eighth- and ninth-inning roles, with Nick Vincent typically the setup man for closer Edwin Diaz, but getting to that point has been a struggle at times. Phelps should provide Manager Scott Servais more options to bridge the late innings.

Phelps also fits a desire by Dipoto to acquire players who aren’t short-term rentals. Phelps will be under Seattle’s control through the 2018 season.

Hernandez, a 19-year-old Venezuelan, is batting .259 in 31 games in the minors this year. He’ll be assigned to the Marlins’ short-season Single-A affiliate in Batavia.

“We got four players we really like,” Hill said, “and they’ll help create more depth in our minor league system.”

TWINS

Kelly to get statue

MINNEAPOLIS — Former manager Tom Kelly — Torii Hunter’s first major league manager — will become the latest Minnesota Twins legend to have his likeness on display at the ballpark.

The Twins will honor Kelly with a pregame ceremony on the plaza outside Target Field today. His will be the eighth bronze statue to be installed, all built by local artist Bill Mack. The others are Rod Carew, Harmon Killebrew, Kirby Puckett, Calvin Griffith, Carl and Eloise Pohlad, Tony Oliva and Kent Hrbek.

When Kelly retired after the 2001 season, he was the longest tenured manager or coach in major pro sports. His number (10) was retired in 2012, the only manager in Twins history to receive that honor. Kelly spent 15 years as manager, winning the World Series in 1987 and 1991.

Hunter (Pine Bluff) played for Kelly in 19972001. He spent two stints with the Twins — 1997-2007 and 2015.

AP file photo Right-hander David Phelps was traded by the Miami Marlins on Thursday to the Seattle Mariners for four prospects, including highly regarded outfielder Brayan Hernandez. Phelps is 2-4 with a 3.45 ERA in 44 relief appearances this season.