And there are things…
We are desperate for trade rumors around here, especially since we saw that there have already been actual names linked to the Phillies in the likenesses of David Bednar and Dennis Santana. It’s always wise to take things with a grain of salt until you hear it from the bigger names in the industry, but today, we were gifted with not one, but two written pieces that spoke on the Phillies’ plans at the trade deadline.
First, from Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The premise of the article is that they are looking to take a “big swing” this deadline.
The Phillies, for now, sound more willing to trade bigger prospect chips for controllable big leaguers, especially a shutdown, late-inning reliever. The Phillies have a top-heavy farm system; major-league sources said initial indications are the Phillies want to shop this July in a more expensive aisle than the rental one. They have the prospects to do it.
Alright, that sounds great. Big trades are always fun and with a fanbase that is starved for a World Series championship, they don’t want to be placated with hallelujahs about Bednar’s reclamation this season. They want established names. So, which relievers is Gelb hearing?
The Phillies have a specific interest in the American League Central; they began scouting the Minnesota Twins more heavily this week in anticipation of them being sellers, league sources said. Griffin Jax and Jhoan Durán will be prized targets if Minnesota makes them available. They’re expected to listen. There is a potential match with the Cleveland Guardians, who boast a deep bullpen headlined by Emmanuel Clase.
He goes on to talk about how acquiring those kinds of pitchers would require some of the team’s bigger prospect names to be included in any deal, but there is still a reluctance to put Andrew Painter on the table. Aidan Miller and Mick Abel might be players the team is willing to talk about, but it’s probably more like someone like Aroon Escobar and Eduardo Tait are the ones being moved, names Gelb specifically points out.
What do other insiders have to say? Well, Jeff Passan wrote today a more general piece, but did talk about the Phillies:
As long as the Phillies are aiming high — and nobody aims high quite like Dave Dombrowski — perhaps they could take a run at landing both Clase and Steven Kwan from Cleveland. Maybe it would take Andrew Painter. Maybe Aidan Miller. Maybe Justin Crawford. Regardless, the Phillies’ window is closing, and getting both club control (Clase is under contract through 2028 and Kwan through 2027) and cost certainty (Clase is due $26 million for the next three years and Kwan less than $20 million for two) would make dealing high-end prospects significantly more palatable.
Again, more big game hunting with the trade targets, only this time, we see Steven Kwan included. Maybe Kwan doesn’t move, but Passan is plain in his evaluation:
If Cleveland ultimately balks at moving Clase, it doesn’t change the imperative: Philadelphia needs to address its weaknesses. This bullpen is not suited to win a playoff series, much less the World Series…Clase (or Jhoan Durán or any shutdown reliever, really) is just a start. An on-the-fly overhaul is what this team needs — and deserves.
This is the correct evaluation. It looks like they’d be willing to part with bigger name prospects to have these relief arms available for not one, but two postseason runs should they come to fruition. It might be wise to add a rental as well, but that’s down the line. For now, we have some real smoke being wafted from Philadelphia.
It’s about time.