Phillies acquire pitcher Michael Rucker from Cubs; Andrew Bellatti designated for assignment

The Phillies acquired right-handed reliever Michael Rucker from the Chicago Cubs in exchange for cash considerations, the team announced Tuesday. To make room on the 40-man roster, reliever Andrew Bellatti was designated for assignment.

Rucker, 29, has a 4.96 ERA over parts of three seasons (96 games) with the Cubs. He has one minor league option remaining. He posted a 1.69 ERA in 13 games with triple-A Iowa last season. He has minor league experience pitching out of the rotation but has spent all of his big league career pitching out of the bullpen.

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Despite that, Rucker has a starter’s arsenal, with six pitches: a four-seam, cutter, slider, curveball, changeup, and sinker. He has an above-average ground-ball rate (51.8%). He posted a 4.91 ERA with 40 strikeouts and 19 walks in 35 games with the Cubs in 2023.

Bellatti, 32, was out of options. He began last season on the injured list with right triceps tendinitis and spent the rest of the year shuttling between triple-A Lehigh Valley and the big leagues. He struggled to strike out batters at the same clip that he had in 2022, and allowed more hard contact last season than in 2022. He posted a 5.11 ERA in 27 games with the Phillies and a 2.42 ERA in 27 games at triple-A in 2023. He had a 3.87 ERA over his two seasons with the Phillies.