Phillies’ 3-Year Veteran Traded To Division Rival In 4-Player Swap
The Atlanta Braves acquired former Philadelphia Phillies left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter from the Kansas City Royals in a significant pre-deadline trade. Falter, a 2015 Phillies draft pick, had his best MLB season with Philadelphia in 2022, posting a 3.86 ERA. The deal, which also sent outfielder Lane Thomas to Atlanta, saw the Braves give up prospects Lucas Braun and Carter Holton. Falter, who previously played for the Pirates and Royals, provides the Braves with experienced organizational pitching depth, joining Triple-A Gwinnett. Despite a high season ERA, he recently showed improvement. This move places Falter with an NL East rival, a familiar division for Phillies fans who followed his early career.
The Philadelphia Phillies made Bailey Falter a fifth-round draft pick in 2015 and watched the left-hander develop into a reliable contributor during his first several seasons in the organization. Although his tenure in Philadelphia ended years ago, the former Phillies starter is once again changing teams — and this time, he'll be pitching for a National League East rival.
The latest move came just before the trade deadline, when the Atlanta Braves acquired Falter as part of a four-player deal with the Kansas City Royals. While outfielder Lane Thomas headlined that trade, Falter gives Atlanta experienced organizational pitching depth as the club reshapes its roster and a reminder for many Phillies fans who have followed his career.
On Saturday, news broke that the Braves had acquired two players from the Royals in the pre-deadline period’s biggest trade up to that point.
"Thomas and left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter were acquired from the Royals in exchange for Minor League right-hander Lucas Braun, who had been the Braves' No. 8 prospect, and left-hander Carter Holton on Saturday night,” Mark Bowman wrote for MLB.com. “Falter will simply provide organizational depth when he joins Triple-A Gwinnett's pitching staff Tuesday. Thomas, who will join Atlanta's roster Tuesday, was the centerpiece of this trade."
The move nevertheless gives the Braves another pitcher with significant major league experience, including several seasons spent with one of Atlanta's biggest divisional rivals.
Although Falter has bounced between multiple organizations since leaving Philadelphia, his strongest major league campaign still came while wearing a Phillies uniform.
"The 29-year-old Falter, who spent time on the IL this season with left elbow inflammation and was designated for assignment by the Royals in late May, has posted a 13.97 ERA in five outings (two starts) this season,” Bowman added. “His best season came with the Phillies in 2022, when he posted a 3.86 ERA over 20 games (16 starts)."
Since departing Philadelphia, Falter has also spent time with the Pittsburgh Pirates before landing with Kansas City earlier this year. But he was a member of the Phillies organization for many years.
"A fifth-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2015, Falter is 25-32 with a 4.77 ERA in 119 games (85 starts) with the Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and Royals in six seasons,” as the Jefferson City New Tribune noted.
Before the trade, Falter had been working primarily as a starter for Triple-A Omaha, where he quietly showed signs of improvement by allowing just three earned runs across his previous 14 innings.
Whether he eventually reaches Atlanta's major league roster remains to be seen. But after spending three seasons with the Phillies organization at the major league level, Falter now finds himself in a new uniform — and within the same division where Philadelphia fans watched him begin his career.