Phillies trade Joaquin Benoit to Pirates

The Phillies have traded reliever Joaquin Benoit to the Pirates in exchange for pitcher Seth McGarry, FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal reports.

The deal comes as a bit of a surprise move by the Pirates, as Pittsburgh dealt Tony Watson to the Dodgers just minutes before moving for Benoit. Benoit should fill into Watson's late-inning role, with Felipe Rivero maintaining closer duties. Benoit, a 16-year veteran, could help Pittsburgh fight back from their 5.5 game NL Central deficit heading into Monday night.

Benoit, 40, has a 4.07 ERA in 42.0 innings for the Phillies this year, though his 3.87 ERA indicates he's pitched with some bad luck. The right-hander is 15/18 in save/hold situations, but his 3.4 BB/9 is a bit concerning for late-inning relievers. Benoit is owed less than $3 million in 2017 and will become a free agent after the season.

McGarry, 23, was drafted by Pittsburgh in the 8th round of the 2015 MLB draft. The right-hander has pitched at High-A Bradenton in 2017 as the club's closer, where he's compiled an impressive 1.34 ERA in 40.1 innings to go with 14 saves. He was not listed on Pittsburgh's MLB Pipeline top 30 prospects prior to the trade.