The Phillies are (or aren’t!) about to trade for Pirates starting pitcher Tyler Anderson. Anderson may not be the best pitcher in the league, but he typically pitches past the fifth inning and gives his team a chance to win. That would make him a welcome addition to the Phillies’ rotation because too often, their starters don’t perform at a competent level.
Take Tuesday night’s game for example. Matt Moore - who could be bumped from the rotation if the trade does go through - allowed six runs in four innings. He - aided by some particularly poor defense by shortstop Didi Gregorius - gave up three-run home runs in each of the first two innings, putting the Phillies in a deep hole from which they would not recover.