The Philadelphia Phillies made a minor trade Wednesday, acquiring pitcher Yoniel Curet, who was designated for assignment Sunday by the Tampa Bay Rays.
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Mike Rodriguez was first to report the deal on Twitter/X.
Curet walked 12 batters and struck out 13 in 9.2 innings for the Durham Bulls, the Tampa Bay Rays’ top minor league affiliate, in 2025. The 23-year-old right-hander missed most of the season with an injury.
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Minor league reliever Tommy McCollum will go to Tampa Bay in the trade, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic.
The Rays selected Curet to their 40-man roster two years ago, so he has one minor-league option year remaining.
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Since then, he’s 1-3 with a 6.03 ERA in eight games (seven starts) at the Triple-A level.
Curet threw a sinker that topped out at 98 mph in his final appearance of 2025, in addition to a cut fastball and a four-seamer. He balanced those high-octane offerings with a changeup and an occasional slider.
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To harness his command, the Phillies might decide less is more and use Curet as a reliever. That might also represent his fastest path to the majors with his new team.
Curet was the No. 22 prospect in the Rays system, according to MLB Pipeline. Tampa Bay organization might have been reluctant to make the conversion after developing him as a starter after signing him out of the Dominican Republic in 2019.
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In August, Curet was named Southern League Pitcher of the Week while he was stationed with the Double-A Montgomery Biscuits.
The Rays promoted him to Triple-A immediately thereafter, and he finished the season with the Rays’ top farm team.
Now Curet will head to the Phillies and look to break into the majors with the two-time defending National League East champions.
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