Philly Leader

Though the Philadelphia Phillies did not engage in a significant blockbuster trade during last year's Trade Deadline, they made several moves that brought new players to the team. Among these were relievers Carlos Estévez and Tanner Banks, outfielder Austin Hays, and right-hander Seth Johnson, who later debuted in Major League Baseball for the Phillies on September 8.

However, the acquisition of right-hander Moisés Chace may have been overlooked at the time. Now, over seven months after the Deadline, Chace is emerging as a potentially impactful player. In his spring debut against the Pirates at LECOM Park, Chace delivered a hitless inning with only 10 pitches.

Chace's fastball has been recorded at speeds up to 98 mph last year. His manager Rob Thomson noted, “The velocity isn’t where it’s going to be -- he’s still building,” adding that once Chace increases his speed further, "it’s going to be really good."

Chace joined the Phillies from the Orioles in a trade involving Gregory Soto. Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations for the Phillies, praised Chace as having "a really good arm with starter potential."

Previously used in varied roles by the Orioles, Chace has now settled into a more consistent role with Jersey Shore's rotation before moving to Double-A Reading. There he recorded 35 strikeouts in 19 2/3 innings over four starts.

Moisés Chace expressed confidence in returning to a starting role: “I’ve been a starter for my whole career.” He demonstrated his potential with an impressive performance on August 31 against Somerset.

Despite previous challenges with command—averaging high walk rates per nine innings—Chace has shown improvement since joining the Phillies organization. If he continues to develop his command alongside maintaining or increasing his velocity, he could prove to be one of last year’s Trade Deadline's most valuable acquisitions.

“It’s just a matter of keep working,” said Chace about his ongoing development efforts.