The Philadelphia Phillies’ final move on MLB trade deadline day caught many by surprise, but it now seems quite logical with all the information that has come to light.

The Phillies acquired left-handed reliever Tanner Banks from the Chicago White Sox and then quickly traded southpaw Gregory Soto to the Baltimore Orioles, who are becoming a new home for several former Phillies.

Soto, who had a couple of All-Star seasons as Detroit’s closer with 48 saves and a 3.34 ERA, joined the Phillies in 2023. However, he struggled to find his groove in a bullpen role where he wasn’t the primary closer. Soto converted 5 of 9 save opportunities and ended his tenure with the Phillies with a 4.42 ERA.

Phillies admit Gregory Soto, who wanted out, was never a fit in the bullpen

The issue with Soto in the Phillies’ bullpen stemmed from the fact that he was never intended to be the closer. Instead, he was meant to be another versatile, high-leverage option. However, it seems that the 29-year-old struggled with this role.

Soto proved unreliable in high-leverage situations, posting a 6.33 ERA and a poor 35.9 percent strand rate while with the Phillies. Although he had a strong stretch this season, he reportedly sought more high-leverage opportunities but didn’t perform as needed. His struggles were compounded by a walk rate that surged to 12.1 percent, up from a career-best 8.8 percent last year (his career average is 12.2 percent).

Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski noted after the trade deadline that Soto didn’t fit well within the current bullpen structure, according to MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki.

“We didn’t necessarily acquire him as a closer,” Dombrowski said, as reported by Zolecki. “I think, a lot of times, he envisions himself as a closer, which is fine. He’s done fine for us, by all means. We weren’t dissatisfied with him. But given how we use our bullpen, I’m just not sure he ever felt entirely comfortable in that role.”

Gregory Soto said he and his agent told the Phillies that if the opportunity came up to go to another team he would want to. He was looking for a new environment and that he’s happy he’s getting that chance with the Orioles

— Danielle Allentuck (@d_allentuck) August 1, 2024

Soto wanted out, requested the chance to pitch elsewhere

Dombrowski’s comments, while somewhat surprising, make sense. But it was only after Soto himself shed some light on the matter that we got the full picture of just how unsettled he was with the Phillies. According to The Baltimore Banner’s Danielle Allentuck, Soto told the Phillies he would welcome a move if possible and was looking for a new environment.

Perhaps transitioning from a 30-save season with the Tigers in 2022 to a three-save, 24-hold season in 2023 wasn’t the trajectory Soto had in mind for his career. While there’s no single path to success, it seems that the opportunity to compete for a World Series wasn’t enough to keep him satisfied in Philadelphia, given his dissatisfaction with not being the closer.

Now that Soto has a fresh start with the Orioles—who are as competitive as the Phillies and have a strong chance at a World Series—he might encounter similar issues. The Orioles’ bullpen features former Phillie and future Hall of Famer Craig Kimbrel as the closer, filling in for the injured Félix Bautista. According to FanGraphs’ Orioles depth chart, Soto is positioned as the fifth option in the bullpen, similar to his role with the Phillies.

With limited chances for ninth-inning opportunities in Baltimore, Soto faces a similar situation. Best of luck to him as he adjusts to his new team.