The Phillies made a roster transaction on Saturday afternoon, claiming Dylan Covey off of waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Dylan Covey, an MLB veteran, has spent time with the Dodgers, Red Sox, White Sox, and even spent a few seasons in the Chinese Professional Baseball League.
Without a #5 starter, the Phillies rotation has had an empty hole. With poor starting pitching from their regulars, the Phillies needed to make a move desperately. Dylan Covey will be added to the roster and most likely will pitch on Tuesday, when the Phillies had a bullpen game scheduled.
Phillies claim Dylan Covey
The Phillies were low on options, which makes sense considering the selection of Dylan Covey off of waivers. Covey is a career 6-29 pitcher with a career earned run average of 6.54.
Covey has a four-pitch mix. His sinker sits roughly 92 mph, and also throws a slider, changeup, and curveball. He does not have great stuff, but he does have enough to keep hitters off-balance and guessing at the plate.
Dylan is going to be simply an innings eater for the Phils. The starting rotation has been unable to get deep into games for the Phils, with Ranger Suarez and Taijuan Walker both getting shelled early in their most recent starts.
With a 20-24 record, the Phillies are quickly slipping further and further away from the playoffs. They were looking for someone who will keep them in games, and Dylan Covey is going to get the first crack at it.
I’d temper any expectations regarding Covey, but he could find himself in the same role Noah Syndergaard was in last season for the club. Maybe Caleb Cotham can unlock something in Dylan and help him take a step forward in his career.
Worst case, the Phillies can move on with no harm, no foul. A very low-risk move; adding Dylan Covey might become another classic Dave Dombrowski addition.
At the very least, it can’t get much worse for a slumping Phillies, who are currently on a five game losing streak.
Photo by Andy Lewis/Icon Sportswire
