Phillies trade for Dodgers outfielder Kyle Garlick

CLEARWATER, Fla. - The Phillies made their first trade of spring training on Saturday afternoon when they acquired Kyle Garlick, a 28-year-old corner outfielder who hit 23 homers last season at triple A.

The Phillies sent Tyler Gilbert, a lefthander who spent last season in the triple-A bullpen, to the Dodgers and designated outfielder Nick Martini for assignment to make room for Garlick on the 40-man roster. The moves lowers the spring-training roster to 70.

Garlick played 30 games last season for the Dodgers after reaching the majors in May. The righthanded batter hit three homers with the Dodgers and had a .842 OPS in 53 plate appearances. He spent most of the season at triple A and posted a 1.057 OPS with 84 strikeouts and 25 walks in 304 plate appearances. His .675 slugging percentage was the 10th highest in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Garlick will compete in camp for one of the final bench jobs, but he seems most likely to be ticketed for triple A, where he could be stashed as outfield depth if a need arises. The Phillies will likely value versatility with their final two spots, assuming that outfielders Roman Quinn and Jay Bruce will join a backup catcher as three of the five bench players.

Gilbert, 26, had a 2.83 ERA last season in 36 appearances at triple A as his strikeout rate dropped by nearly two per nine innings from his 2018 double-A season.

Martini, 29, was claimed off waivers in January from Cincinnati, which claimed him in November from San Diego.