Jim Salisbury of CSNPhilly.com reports that the Phillies have traded right-handed reliever Michael Schwimer to the Blue Jays for minor league first baseman Art Charles.
Schwimer, who turned 27 earlier this week, has a 4.62 ERA and 52/23 K/BB ratio over 48 2/3 innings in the big leagues. He made 35 appearances with the Phillies last season and found himself in the middle of a controversy in August when he refused to report to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after claiming that he was injured. He eventually reported and the MLBPA later investigated the matter, but it’s not clear if a grievance was ever filed against the Phillies.
While Schwimer could turn out to be a useful middle reliever for the Blue Jays, Charles isn’t much of a prospect. The 22-year-old has a .239/.358/.482 batting line over three seasons in the minors and has never played above Low-A. While he has some pop, he has struck out in 30 percent of his plate appearances.
