ESPN has linked a handful of players to the Phillies
In a piece from Tuesday entitled “Ranking MLB’s top 50 Trade Deadline Candidates,” ESPN’s Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel listed who they believe are the best players available this upcoming deadline, the best fits for them on the trade market, and the likelihood that they will be dealt.
Naturally, as the Phillies figure to be buyers once again this deadline season, they were linked to a few players from the list. Here are those players and the chance that Passan and McDaniel ascribed to the likelihood that they will in fact be moved.
- Jarren Duran, OF, Boston Red Sox (25%)
- Jhoan Duran, RP, Minnesota Twins (40%)
- Emmanuel Clase, RP, Cleveland Guardians (20%)
- Felix Bautista, RP, Baltimore Orioles (15%)
- Cedric Mullins, OF, Baltimore Orioles (70%)
- Pete Fairbanks, RP, Tampa Bay Rays (60%)
- Aroldis Chapman, RP, Boston Red Sox (35%)
- Luis Robert Jr., OF, Chicago White Sox (90%)
- Taylor Ward, OF, Los Angeles Angels (45%)
- Ryan Helsley, RP, St. Louis Cardinals (30%)
- Adolis Garcia, OF, Texas Rangers (80%)
As you can see that list features outfielders and relief pitchers exclusively. Anyone that’s paid even remote attention to the Phillies can tell that those are the two clearest spots to upgrade. Their outfield ranks 25th in fWAR (0.7) and 19th in OPS (.703) and features at best one and a half platoons depending on your opinion of Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh, and Johan Rojas. Meanwhile, the Phillies bullpen ranks 16th in fWAR (1.8) and 25th in ERA (4.63). It’s a safe bet that the Phillies will, at a bare minimum, add at least one reliever before the deadline passes thanks to the suspension and therefore postseason disqualification of José Alvarado.
This list from Passan and McDaniel features a lot of big names, but it’s hard to see many of these players actually being moved at the deadline. Some, such as both Durans or Bautista, still have multiple years of control and therefore would require a king’s ransom if they are even available. Others, such as Helsley or Clase, play on teams that are as of this writing less than two games out of a postseason spot. The addition of the third Wild Card spot has really muddied the waters of the deadline, with less sellers each year as more teams convince themselves they’re better off staying in the race for that spot rather than punting their season.
Nevertheless, this list helps give one an idea of just what is potentially out there for the Phillies to survey. With all of this in mind, how do you feel about these possible trade targets? Do you like their fit on the Phillies? Who would you go after? Do you think it’s even a possibility that many of them move at all? Or do you think most will stay put?