BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 04: Zach Pop #56 of the Toronto Blue Jays throws to first to force out Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox during the eighth inning at Fenway Park on May 04, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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The Philadelphia Phillies continue to search for every possible roster advantage as they pursue another deep postseason run. And that pursuit led the club to make an unusual transaction involving a former Toronto Blue Jays reliever last week.
The Phillies designated right-hander Zach Pop for assignment shortly after reinstating him from the injured list, creating room on the 40-man roster for another pitcher returning from injury in a fairly unique way.
“Phillies had to get righty reliever Max Lazar back on the 40-man roster because his rehab clock expired, so they DFA’d Zach Pop, who was also on a rehab assignment,” The Athletic’s Matt Gelb reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Because the Phillies needed to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for Lazar to activate him and then option him, Pop, who pitched across three seasons for the Blue Jays, had to be designated for assignment.
Philadelphia Phillies Cut Veteran Pitcher From Big-League Roster In Creative Roster Shuffle
The move represents a disappointing turn for Pop, who joined the Phillies in the offseason but had been sidelined with elbow inflammation after making a brief appearance on the mound earlier this season, including a career first.
“Pop hit the IL in mid-April with a right calf strain,” Charlie Wright wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “He began a rehab assignment earlier this month. The veteran righty opened the season in the Phillies’ bullpen. He allowed three earned runs across seven appearances. Pop made his first MLB start in his final outing before the leg injury.”
Pop originally broke into the majors with the Miami Marlins before being acquired by Toronto as part of a 2022 trade that also brought reliever Anthony Bass to the Blue Jays. Over three seasons in Toronto, Pop appeared in 90 games and posted a 4.89 ERA while primarily serving as a middle reliever.
However, injuries and inconsistency limited his opportunities in subsequent seasons and he pitched for the Seattle Mariners and New York Mets before joining the Phillies.
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Lazar, meanwhile, has been viewed as a potential contributor to Philadelphia’s pitching depth.
He opened the season on the injured list but has pitched well in minor-league rehab.
The Phillies will now have seven days to trade Pop or attempt to pass him through waivers. If he clears waivers, the right-hander could remain in the organization as non-roster depth.
Given the constant demand for experienced bullpen arms across Major League Baseball, however, Pop could still attract interest from another club. For now, the former Blue Jays reliever finds himself in roster limbo after Philadelphia’s creative maneuver to accommodate Lazar’s return.