Phillies cut ties with Velasquez originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Just a formality, but the Phillies have officially released pitcher Vince Velasquez. The right-hander had been designated for assignment on Friday. He passed through waivers without being claimed by another club and was let go Monday. He is now a free agent.
Once upon a time, Velasquez was considered a foundation piece in a Phillies’ rebuild that still hasn’t paid dividends. He was acquired from Houston in former general manager Matt Klentak’s first big trade in December 2015.
Velasquez arrived on the scene like a meteor. He shut out the San Diego Padres on 16 strikeouts and no walks in his second start with the club on April 14, 2016, but never built on that success.
Velasquez appeared in 133 over six seasons with the Phillies and 116 of them were starts. He went 30-40 with a 4.93 ERA. He went 3-6 with a 5.95 ERA in 21 games, 17 starts, this season.