Eickhoff among those released by Phillies
The offseason, already charged with the electric addition of manager Joe Girardi, is kicking into gear for the Phillies.
General manager Matt Klentak and others responsible for getting this team to finally play up to expectations Monday shipped out a big name from former GM Ruben Amaro Jr’s attempted rebuild that began more than four years ago.
Klentak and Co. shipped out right-handed pitcher Jerad Eickhoff, one of the most promising facets of the 2015 Cole Hamels trade but a player whose career was knocked off course by injuries the last few years.
Eickhoff, 29, went 3-3 with a 2.65 ERA in eight starts in half of a 2015 season after the eightplayer deadline deal that sent Hamels and reliever Jake Diekman to Texas. Eickhoff won 11
games the next year, but over the past three seasons won just seven of 35 starts as various injuries took their toll.
He is the fourth starting pitcher from that Hamels haul to fizzle out for the Phils, with disappointing Jake Thompson, Alec Asher and then-injured throw-in Matt Harrison all having made their exits much earlier.
Eickhoff was given an outright release and elected free agency. Doing the same after their releases Monday were relievers Mike Morin, Blake Parker and Edubray Ramos.
Also electing free agency was Bryn Mawr native and Malvern Prep product Phil Gosselin, who hit .262 in 65 at-bats for the Phillies in 2019.
The club also declined club options on relievers Jared Hughes and Pat Neshek, and left-handed starter Jason Vargas.
A group of players were reinstated by the club from the 60-day injured list. They included Jake Arrieta, relievers Seranthony
Dominguez, Adam Morgan, David Robertson, Víctor Arano and Robert Stock, and outfielder Andrew McCutchen. In addition, Odúbel Herrera was reinstated after serving out the season on MLB’s suspended list after a domestic violence incident in Atlantic City last spring. •• • J.T. Realmuto won the National League Gold Glove
Award as the league’s best fielding catcher, the first Phillies catcher to win since Mike Lieberthal 20 years ago.