40-man roster additions made by Phillies

Ahead of the deadline to update the big league 40-man roster in advance of the upcoming Rule 5 draft, the Phillies made some additions on Wednesday.

Jojo Romero, image- Jay Floyd

In moves that did not catch very many people by surprise, right-handed hurler Mauricio Llovera and left-hander JoJo Romero were added to the 40-man roster.  Righty Garrett Cleavinger was also protected.

Llovera, 23, a Venezuela native, notched a 3-4 record with a 4.55 ERA and a 9.9 K/9 mark in 14 games with Double-A Reading this year.  

Romero, a 4th round draft pick from 2016, posted a 7-9 record with a 5.82 ERA with a 7.4 K/9 mark in 24 games split between Triple-A Lehigh Valley and Double-A Reading this year.  In eight appearances in the Arizona Fall League this off-season the 23-year-old recorded a 0.84 ERA and a 0.94 WHIP.

Cleavinger, who was acquired by the Phils in the trade that sent Jeremy Helickson to Baltimore in 2017, posted a 3-2 record with a 3.66 ERA and a .172 batting average against in 34 relief appearances last season.

While the Cleavinger move was unexpected, each of these pitchers stand a fair shot at making a splash in the Phillies' bullpen next season.

The Phillies also dealt minor league infielder Curtis Mead to Tampa Bay for lefty reliever Cristopher Sanchez, who was also added to the 40-man roster.

Sanchez, 22, is a Dominican Republic native, who tallied a 4-1 record with two saves, a 2.26 ERA and a .212 batting average against in 24 games at three levels this year.

The transactions leave the Phillies' 40-man roster standing at 39 individuals.