The Phillies acquired Edmundo Sosa in a 1 for 1 player swap with the Cardinals. Sosa doesn’t hit particularly well, but will definitely help fill a hole in the Phillies shaky defense. He has 13 career DRS and 7 OAA at SS. This season he also ranks in the 98th percentile for sprint speed, running 29.6 ft/sec. Sosa has posted a wRC+ of only 49 with the Cardinals this season, but last year he posted a .735 OPS and 104 wRC+. Even if he doesn’t regain his 2021 offensive form, the Phillies acquired a special defender with elite speed.
The Cardinals acquired LHP JoJo Romero in the player swap. Romero has pitched only 21.2 career innings in the majors, posting a 7.89 ERA and a 4.06 xFIP. He has a five pitch mix, throwing a sinker, cutter, 4-seamer, slider, and changeup. When Romero was a prospect he was projected to have an above average fastball, slider, and changeup. He doesn’t have great numbers in the upper minors either, in AAA during the 2019 season he had an ERA of 6.88.
The Phillies acquired a defense first shortstop that has shown in the past that he can put together an above average offensive season. While the Cardinals acquired a lefty who still has a year of minor league options available (Sosa did not), the move also opens a roster spot for shortstop Paul DeJong to return from AAA. At face value it looks like the Phillies got the better end of the deal, acquiring Edmundo Sosa, but it makes sense for the Cardinals to open up a roster spot for DeJong.