Phils get slugger Bour from Miami
Marlins send first baseman and cash to Philly for single-A pitching prospect
PHILADELPHIA » The NL Eastleading Philadelphia Phillies have acquired first baseman Justin Bour and cash from the Miami Marlins for a minor league pitcher.
Bour is batting .227 with 19 homers and 54 RBIs. He’s expected to be a pinch-hitter in Philadelphia, where Carlos Santana is the starting first baseman in the first year of a $60 million, threeyear contract.
The left-handed hitting Bour has a .347 on-base percentage. The 30-year-old hit .289 with 25 homers and 83 RBIs last season.
“I envision him being a dynamic, power-hitting weapon off the bench,” Phillies manager Gabe Kapler said.
“The numbers against righties are outrageously good and the plate discipline fits right in with our lineup. He knows how to look over the baseball. He attacks it when it’s in the zone. He fouls balls off. He fights. He is a tough out,” he said.
The Marlins got Single-A left-hander McKenzie Mills. The 22-year-old was 2-5 with a 3.51 ERA at Clearwater.
The Phillies also will receive $466,129 from Miami, which is half of Bour’s remaining salary this year. Bour is earning $3.4 million after winning in arbitration. He is eligible for free agency after the 2020 season.
The Phillies acquired infielder Asdrubal Cabrera and All-Star catcher Wilson Ramos last month.
Philadelphia began a three-game series in San Diego on Friday night with a one-game lead over Atlanta and 5 ½ games ahead of Washington.
“I think it’s worth noting that he’s really hurt the Braves. I think that matters,” Kapler said. “And look, he’s going to be a really tough out against a right-handed reliever or starter, and we’re going to look for ways to be opportunistic in deploying him.”