Like most division rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies don’t make many trades with other teams in the NL East, especially the New York Mets.
This week, however, the two clubs made an exception.
On Wednesday, the Phillies acquired minor-league pitcher Josh Hejka from the Mets for cash considerations in a rare intra-division trade.
Hejka apparently has a good sense of humor, as he was quick to poke fun of himself on social media after the minor swap.
On X, the 27-year-old right-hander expressed faux frustration at the news not being broken by famous MLB reporter Jeff Passan, who works for ESPN.
He also joked about getting traded “for a bag of balls.”
Hejka has yet to pitch in the Major Leagues, hence why the trade failed to catch Passan’s attention.
The Michigan native played college ball at Johns Hopkins University, where he went 12-5 with a 2.81 ERA, primarily as a reliever. After graduating in 2019, he signed with New York as an undrafted free agent.
Hejka remained with the Mets organization through 2024, reaching Triple-A multiple times. However, he’s still trying to make it to The Show.
In four minor-league seasons, he is 10-7 with a 3.73 ERA, a 1.34 WHIP and 174 strikeouts in 193 innings. He’s also gotten some closing experience, recording 12 saves.
Hejka has struggled to adjust to tougher competition throughout his career, posting a 2.43 ERA at High-A, a 5.19 ERA at Double-A and a 10.13 ERA at Triple-A.
That explains why he’s never been called up.
Given his age and lack of MLB experience, Hejka is unlikely to crack Philadelphia’s 40-man roster in 2025. Unless he shows signs of promise at the upper levels of the minors, he’ll likely serve as organizational depth for the reigning NL East champions, just as he did for New York.
But who knows?
Maybe Hejka will be extra motivated to prove his old team wrong and finally make it to the big leagues.