If the charges against Julio Mateo are true, the Phillies picked up an out-and-out bad guy at Tuesday's trade deadline. This past May, Mateo was charged with domestic abuse for punching, biting and choking his wife in a New York hotel room. The incident wasn't the first; Police responded to the Mateo apartment just about a week earlier, but his wife and here sister - who speak little or no English - refused to talk to police about the incident.
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| Julio Mateo is taken to his arraignment after being booked on domestic abuse charges in New York City last May. (Photo: AP) |
On the field, Mateo has some nice numbers. In 210 Major League games with Seattle, he's gone 17-12 with a 3.67 ERA over four-plus seasons. At AAA this season, he's allowed just three earned runs - all on solo home runs - in 34.3 innings of work, which translates to a 0.79 ERA. He's also saved 12 games.
Thankfully, the Phillies didn't offer up much in the deal, sending 26 year old minor league infielder Jesus Merchan to the Mariners to get the deal done.
The Phillies are interested in clearing roster room to bring Mateo to the majors as soon as possible, but there was no exact time table on when they would be able to activate him.