Phillies deal Owusu-Asiedu to Diamondbacks

The Philadelphia Phillies have traded outfield prospect Avery Owusu-Asiedu (Saskatoon, Sask.) to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

December 22, 2025

By Kevin Glew

Canadian Baseball Network

On Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies dealt outfield prospect Avery Owusu-Asiedu (Saskatoon, Sask.) to the Arizona Diamondbacks for left-handed reliever Kyle Backhus.

Owusu-Asiedu just completed his third season in the Phillies’ organization. In a combined 107 games between class-A and High-A, the 6-foot-4 230-pound Canadian batted .258 with a .366 on-base percentage with seven home runs and 33 stolen bases.

Selected in the ninth round of the 2023 MLB draft by the Phillies out of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Owusu-Asiedu showed marked improvement over his 2024 campaign with class-A Clearwater in which he batted .192 with 129 strikeout in 98 games.

Owusu-Asiedu was born in Saskatoon and lived there until he was four before his family moved to England and then to Waukesha, Wis. He still has relatives on his mom’s side of the family that live in Winnipeg.

Owusu-Asiedu, 22, will likely start the 2025 campaign in double-A in D-Backs’ organization.

The Phillies, meanwhile, are hoping that the 27-year-old Backhus, who posted a 4.62 ERA in 32 relief appearances for the D-Backs in his rookie big league campaign in 2025, can be a solid reliever for them.