CLEARWATER, Fla. – Kyle Backhus remembers being on a Facetime call with his Arizona Diamondbacks pitching coaches in December. It was great call, he said. They talked about his 2025 season and went over a throwing and conditioning routine for the winter. Backhus came away from the call feeling enthused, like he was in the D-backs’ plans for 2026. The next day, another call. He’d been traded to the Phillies. “It blew me away,” he said.  Word is it blew away some of the Arizona pitching coaches, as well. But the front office rules. Backhus, a 28-year-old reliever with a limited big-league track record but intriguing upside as a lefty specialist, was off to Philadelphia. For a day or so, Backhus’ world was unsettled. The D-backs were the only organization the native Texan had known since breaking into pro ball in 2021. Then the text message dinged. Hey, it’s Bryce Harper. Welcome to the Phillies. Let me know if you need anything. Let’s go get a ring! Backhus used the same expression to describe what the text meant to him as he did his reaction to the trade. “It blew me away,” he said. “I said to my wife, ‘You won’t believe who just texted me.’ I still have it. Everyone here has been so welcoming.” Opening day is less than a week away and the Phillies front office is in the process of finalizing its roster. Coming into camp, there were probably two open jobs. Backhus, who is scheduled to get some work against the New York Yankees on Sunday, is in good shape for landing one of them. He’s pitched six scoreless innings and given up just four hits and a walk while striking out six. Backhus is a lanky, 6-foot-4-inch side-armer. He’s long been an under-the-radar guy, a late bloomer. He pitched for five seasons, getting an extra year because of Covid, at Sam Houston State University, went undrafted and signed as a free-agent with Arizona in 2021. He came into pro ball with a high three-quarters delivery. During his first full minor-league season, at the suggestion of Barry Enright, then one of his minor-league pitching coaches, Backhus dropped to full sidearm and became a reliever. The delivery change unlocked more sweep on his pitches and he began to ascend through the Diamondbacks’ system, finally reaching the majors last June. He pitched in 32 games and had a 4.62 ERA in 25 1/3 innings. Right-handed hitters feasted on him for a .365 (23 for 63) batting average and a .988 OPS, but he was death on lefties, holding them to a .139 (5 for 36) batting average and a .503 OPS. Becoming a side-armer “is the reason I made it to the big leagues,” Backhus said. “Pitching more over the top, I had nothing special as far as getting through Double A and Triple A.” Backhus’ story is similar to former Phillies reliever Jake Diekman, also a lefty. Diekman was at Low A Lakewood and on the verge of being released by the Phillies in 2010 when pitching coach Bob Milacki suggested he lower his arm angle. Diekman was placed on the phantom injured list for a few weeks to work on the new delivery. Two years later, he was in the big leagues on his way to a 13-year career and $28 million in earnings. “I’ve actually gotten compared to him a few times,” Backhus said of Diekman. The Phillies acquired Backhus for toolsy minor-league outfielder Avery Owusu-Asiedu on the same day they dealt veteran left-handed reliever Matt Strahm to Kansas City for right-handed reliever Jonathan Bowlan. Bowlan, who is out of minor-league options, will make the opening day roster. Backhus actually does have options remaining so it was important for him to make the good showing he has in camp. Phillies general manager Preston Mattingly said his club had been looking for left-handed relief depth for a while, but getting minor-league free-agents to come to the team was a challenge because the big-league club had three lefty relievers (Strahm, Jose Alvarado and Tanner Banks) and opportunities were limited. The Diamondbacks had lefty relief depth on their 40-man roster. When they made Backhus available, the Phillies were interested. “Our scouts and our analytics staff identified him as a guy who could help us,” Mattingly said. “It’s an uncomfortable at-bat for lefties and we think there’s upside there against righties.” Backhus won’t light up radar guns with his sinker/sweeper/changeup mix. He averaged 91 mph on his sinking fastball last season. He relies on deception, location, extension and movement. But there has been an uptick in velocity this spring. In an inning of work against the Yankees on March 14, Backhus allowed a leadoff double to Ben Rice then struck out big-leaguers Cody Bellinger, Giancarlo Stanton and Jazz Chisholm all on fastballs from his funky arm angle. Against Stanton, he hit 93.5 mph on the gun. “It’s a really unique look,” pitching coach Caleb Cotham said. “He slings it from down under. He’s had a lot of quick innings. He’s thrown the ball incredibly well.” Backhus lines up to join Alvarado and Banks as lefties in the Phillies’ season-opening bullpen. Time will tell if they have something that will help them win the ring Bryce Harper mentioned in that first text message. So far, the indications are positive. ...read more read less