The Philadelphia Phillies have added more depth to their minor league system with a recent trade for utility player. He has appeared in 70 MLB games—including nine with the San Francisco Giants in 2024—brings some big-league experience to the organization.
The Phillies acquired Walton from the New York Mets earlier this week in exchange for cash considerations. He has joined the Phillies’ Triple-A team, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, and was activated on Wednesday. Walton was not on the Mets’ 40-man roster and remains off the Phillies’ 40-man roster as well.
Phillies add Donovan Walton from Mets purely as depth at Triple-A
The Phillies made the move after their Triple-A affiliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, placed infielder Christian Arroyo on the injured list. As part of a corresponding set of moves, shortstop Erick Brito was reassigned to Double-A with the Reading Fightin Phils.
Donovan Walton, 31, is hitting .222/.315/.377 this season in Triple-A. His major league career slash line sits at .174/.227/.305. Originally drafted by the Seattle Mariners in 2016 out of Oklahoma State, he debuted in the majors in September 2019. Walton spent four seasons with Seattle, then played two years for the Giants before signing with the Mets this past offseason. He was traded to the Phillies shortly afterward.
Although Walton doesn’t offer much in terms of batting average, he’s shown some power—his 11 home runs this season are his most since 2021, when he hit a career-high 13. Defensively, he’s considered below average, having played second base, shortstop, first base, third base, and left field. At shortstop, he’s posted a .965 fielding percentage in the minors, with 42 errors. In the majors, his fielding percentage is .977—slightly below the league average of .980.
This move is mostly about organizational depth as the trade deadline nears. With potential prospect movement on the horizon, the Phillies continue to build depth at the minor league level. Since early May, they’ve added several players via minor league deals, including right-handers Daniel Robert and Nolan Hoffman, lefty Josh Walker, and third baseman Nick Dunn.
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