The Philadelphia Phillies are rumored to be involved in a number of trade talks as the deadline approaches – but should they consider standing pat?
The second half of the Major League Baseball season recently began. That means the non-waiver trade deadline is quickly approaching, now less than two weeks away.
The Philadelphia Phillies are nine games back in the Wild Card standings heading into play on Thursday night. Since it is not totally impossible to make a run at a playoff berth this season, should the Phillies make a trade deadline deal?
I believe that it all depends on who they want to trade. I certainly don’t think they should trade anyone who will allow them to have a chance as they move into the future.
The list of players who, in my opinion, should not be moved includes Tommy Joseph, Cameron Rupp, and Maikel Franco.
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However, shopping the market for Carlos Ruiz or Ryan Howard would be acceptable, although teams will not offer much. If teams are looking for an extra bat, outfielder Peter Bourjos or infielder Andres Blanco could be a good option as either could be worth some value in return.
What about pitching? The Phillies have a decent, albeit young, starting rotation with Zach Eflin, Jerad Eickhoff, Vincent Velasquez, Aaron Nola, and the veteran of the group, Jeremy Hellickson.
Many people are reporting, including right here at TBOH, that Hellickson is on the chopping block. I think if they can get something decent then go for it.
Hellickson has done his job for the most part, but not to the point where he needs to be kept around for the future. He sports a 4.03 ERA and has given up the most home runs in that rotation.
I think that the Phillies have to be smart as the trade deadline approaches. They don’t want to give up something overly valuable as they have in past years.
I would include in that list of questionable deals over the last few decades the trades of Hunter Pence, Curt Schilling, current bench coach Larry Bowa, and former manager Ryne Sandberg just to name a few.
The Phillies making the playoffs may seem like a long shot, but it could happen. If they do decide to make a deal over the next week they just have to be smart. It’ll be interesting to see what they decide to do.