You can never have enough good relievers. In the midst of pursuing Bo Bichette, the Phillies found time to swing a small deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Philadelphia added reliever Chase Shugart from the Buccos in exchange for minor league infielder Francisco Loreto on Tuesday. Pittsburgh had to designate Shugart for assignment to clear a roster spot when they signed first baseman Ryan O’Hearn last week. The Phillies jumped in to swing a deal for the right-hander as they continue to revamp their bullpen for the upcoming season.
Shugart, 29, was drafted by Boston out of the University of Texas in the 12th round of the 2018 Draft and debuted with the Red Sox in August of 2024. The Pirates added him a year ago after he was designated for assignment by Boston. His most extensive time in the majors came with the Pirates last season when he threw 45 innings in 35 appearances and posted a 4-3 record with a 3.40 ERA. He walked 17 and struck out 31, allowing six home runs along the way. He pitched in 12 games with Triple-A Indianapolis last season, including making one start. He finished the year with a 1.74 ERA in 20.2 innings of work to go with six walks and 20 strikeouts.
The Phillies now have a full 40-man roster with the addition of Shugart. At the end of the season, Shugart will be eligible for arbitration and he has one option remaining which will allow the Phillies to put him on the Philadelphia to Lehigh Valley shuttle this summer if they need to.
Loreto was an international signee out of Venezuela in 2024 and was signed as a catcher, but has been moved to playing primarily at third base in the Phillies organization. The transition had a rough start last season with the 18-year-old committing 23 errors in 44 games in the Florida Complex League (FCL) for an .822 fielding percentage. Offensively, Loreto showed some pop last season in the FCL when he hit five home runs in 169 at-bats. He produced a slash line of: .237/.332/.396/.728 last season, which was his first in the U.S.
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