Cubs Trade Left-Handed Pitcher Scott Eyre to Phillies

By the Chicago Cubs
Posted Thursday, August 7, 2008

CHICAGO – The Chicago Cubs today traded left-handed pitcher Scott Eyre to the Philadelphia Phillies for minor league right-handed pitcher Brian Schlitter.

A Maine South High School graduate and resident of Park Ridge , Schlitter will report to Single-A Daytona in the Florida State League. Eyre was designated for assignment on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old Schlitter went 4-3 with six saves and a 2.22 ERA (12 ER/48.2 IP) in 34 relief appearances for Single-A Clearwater this season. The righthander has limited opponents to a .213 batting average, including a .211 mark by right-handed hitters and a .216 mark by lefthanders. Schlitter has struck out 58 batters in 48.2 innings, an average of 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings, and has allowed just one home run in the 48.2 frames.

Schlitter was selected by the Phillies in the 16th round of the 2007 Draft out of the College of Charleston. The six-foot-five, 240-pounder pitched last season at rookie-level Williamsport and Single-A Lakewood, combining to go 0-1 with four saves and a 3.80 ERA (10 ER/25.2 IP) in 17 relief appearances.

Eyre, 36, went 2-0 with a 7.15 ERA (9 ER/11.1 IP) for the Cubs this season, limited to 19 relief appearances due to a pair of stints on the disabled list. He set a franchise record with 33 consecutive scoreless appearances from August 16, 2007-June 13, 2008, covering 23.2 innings, a career-best for the southpaw.

Signed to a three-year contract prior to the 2006 season, Eyre went 5-4 with a 4.03 ERA (56 ER/125.0 IP) in 148 relief appearances with the Cubs. He is 23-29 with four saves and a 4.42 ERA (297 ER/605.0 IP) in 556 major league appearances (32 starts) with the White Sox (1997-2000), Blue Jays (2001-02), Giants (2002-05) and Cubs (2006-08).