Phillies: Five Storylines to Watch For Heading into the Upcoming Season

Trade Chips Galore on the Roster

Throughout the offseason, the Phillies maintained that they did not want to block any of their prospects with the moves they made. That mantra led to the acquisitions of Howie Kendrick, Pat Neshek, Joaquin Benoit, and Clay Buchholz. In addition, Jeremy Hellickson accepted the team’s qualifying offer after testing the free-agency waters.

While all these moves afforded the team roster and payroll flexibility, they also gave the Phillies numerous trade chips come July. Matt Klentak acknowledged this after the Buchholz trade, saying “[W]e have a lot of meaningful players in the last years of their contracts — not just pitchers, but a number of players that could be trade chips.”

The team employed this same strategy last year when they acquired veterans Charlie Morton and Hellickson. While the team was not able to trade either of these players, they have even more options this year.

Next: Which Phillie Will Be Extended Next?

If any one of the players above are performing well when the trade deadline nears, don’t be surprised if teams come calling to make a move. A hypothetical trade would net the Phillies another decent prospect or two while also clearing up room if one their own prospects is ready to debut in the majors.