Should the Phillies trade Freddy Galvis this offseason?
By John Town
The Phillies have a long road ahead of them sorting out their middle infield. One option they may pursue is trading Freddy Galvis this offseason.
Perhaps the biggest question the Phillies are facing this offseason is what they should do with their middle infield. They have four players who could play second base or shortstop for the major-league team early on next year. This means the team has some tough decisions to face this offseason to figure out what to with their infield.
One of those decisions is what to do with Freddy Galvis, the starting shortstop for the last three seasons and the longest-tenured Phillie. He emerged as a leader in the clubhouse the last two years as more and more players started coming from the minor-leagues, making Galvis the de facto veteran on the team.
On the field, Galvis is a Gold-Glove caliber shortstop who lacks recognition because he is in an era full of Gold-Glove shortstops. At the plate, he improved his to a respectable level, but he is still someone who should bat at the bottom of the order.
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Meanwhile, J.P. Crawford finally arrived to the major-leagues this year after a long and rocky two seasons in the minors. He continued to show his trademark plate discipline and enough defensive acumen to be an adequate replacement for Galvis. Crawford should start next season with the major-league team. He isn’t likely to ride the bench either after starting 21 games once he was promoted. This leaves Galvis in a precarious position moving forward.
Galvis understands that his future is up in the air and that this offseason will be the first time he really has to question his future in Philadelphia: [quote via Bob Brookover of Philly.com]
"“I don’t know man, it’s kind of weird,” Galvis said. “I think it’s going to be the first time in the offseason with that kind of situation. I just have to be ready for whatever happens.”"
It seems inevitable that Crawford will take over the mantle at shortstop, so it appears Galvis’s days in Philadelphia may be limited. If the Phils are ready to go all-in on Crawford, trading Galvis this offseason makes the most sense. With his defense and low projected salary next year ($7.4 million according to MLB Trade Rumors arbitration projections) Galvis is definitely a worthwhile pickup for another team.
One team that makes sense as a landing spot for Galvis is the Milwaukee Brewers. While they have the shortstop position locked down with Orlando Arcia, second base is a major question mark for them this season. Trevor Hooth of Reviewing the Brew made the case for acquiring Galvis, and there is definitely a fit there.
Galvis could also make sense for the Royals, Diamondbacks, and Orioles as they did not receive much production at the shortstop position this year.
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If Galvis does wind up being traded, that clears the way for Crawford to be the starting shortstop next season. After 214 games at Triple-A, it’s time for him to matriculate to the majors.
One additional benefit of trading Galvis is that it allows Cesar Hernandez to start the season with the team. He is another movable piece as one of the better leadoff hitters in baseball. However, Scott Kingery doesn’t appear to be ready for the majors just yet, so keeping Hernandez around gives Kingery more time to develop and could make Hernandez a hot commodity come the trade deadline.
It should be noted that one drawback of trading Galvis is that you lose his presence in the locker room. That leadership quality can’t be quantified, but it is valuable nonetheless. All of the Phillies coaching staff and front office praises Galvis for that quality, and losing it could hurt the locker room to an extent. Granted, the team could keep him as a utility infielder, but that seems like a waste for someone who can be an everyday starter.
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For all we know, Galvis may not have to be traded as Hernandez could very well be traded instead, allowing Crawford to start the year at second. They could also decide to move on from Maikel Franco, although that doesn’t seem as likely just yet. There are so many ways this infield situation could play out, this is just one possibility.