Wednesday, December 31, 2014
[size=150] PHILLIES TRADE BYRD TO CINCINNATI [/size]
The Phillies have traded outfielder Marlon Byrd and cash considerations to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for right-hander Ben Lively, Senior Vice President & General Manager Ruben Amaro Jr. announced today.
Lively, 22, was named the Reds’ Minor League Player of the Year for 2014 after going 13-7 with a 3.04 ERA in a combined 26 starts between single-A Bakersfield and double-A Pensacola. A mid-season California League All-Star, he collected 171 strikeouts in 151.0 innings pitched and held opposing hitters to a .215 batting average. Lively’s strikeout total was tied for second-most among all minor league pitchers. As a hitter, he batted .294 (5-17) with one double, one home run and two RBI in 10 games.
At the beginning of the 2014 season, Lively was ranked as the ninth-best prospect in the Reds’ minor league system by Baseball America after being selected by the team in the fourth round of the June 2013 draft out of the University of Central Florida.
Byrd, 37, batted .264 last season for the Phillies with 25 home runs and 85 RBI in 154 games. He led the team in home runs and slugging percentage (.445).
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Press Releases provided courtesy of the Phillies, Media Relations. Thanks, guys!
