In a departure from the usual trade scenario, Philadelphia is essentially buying Tyler Gilbert’s contract from the Reds by sending them an undisclosed sum of money. Although not a conventional trade, this financial transaction aligns with baseball’s peculiar trade standards.
Following the 2023 season, Tyler Gilbert found himself without a team after being outrighted and clearing waivers with the Diamondbacks. Opting for free agency in November, he later signed a minor league agreement with the Reds in January, which included an invitation to major league spring training.
During spring training, Gilbert’s performance appeared promising statistically, as he participated in five games, pitching 9.0 innings, conceding two earned runs, issuing one walk, and striking out 11 batters out of 41 faced. Despite this, he was demoted to minor league camp on March 18th.
Upon the commencement of the regular season, Gilbert was assigned to the Triple-A team, the Louisville Bats, where his performance left much to be desired. In 11.2 innings across three starts and four relief appearances, he struggled, accumulating a dismal 13.11 ERA, allowing 24 hits (although no home runs), and issuing six walks, resulting in a WHIP of 2.57. Despite this, he managed to strike out 13 of the 63 batters he faced during his time with Louisville.
Tyler Gilbert, known for his remarkable achievement of pitching a no-hitter in his debut big league start in 2021 with the Arizona Diamondbacks, has now returned to the Phillies. Initially drafted by Philadelphia in the 6th round of the 2015 draft, Gilbert remained with them in the minors until he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers after the 2020 season. Subsequently, he was acquired by Arizona through the minor league phase of the Rule 5 draft and spent much of the 2021 season in Triple-A before his August call-up. Since then, his career has seen a series of transitions between Triple-A and the major leagues, all with the Diamondbacks until his stint with Louisville in 2024.
