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Phillies trade rumor: Club scouts Rays/Marlins during Nathan Eovaldi start

By George Stockburger |
HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 20: Nathan Eovaldi #24 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on June 20, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX - JUNE 20: Nathan Eovaldi #24 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches in the first inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park on June 20, 2018 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)

Phillies trade rumor time is ramping up after the club scouted the Rays/Marlins

The latest Phillies trade rumor has picked up after, according to MLB.com’s Bill Chastain, the club took in Wednesday night’s Rays/Marlins game.

Both clubs are likely sellers at the deadline with Miami 17 games below .500 and the Rays playing .500 baseball in a division dominated by the Yankees and Red Sox. Philadelphia, Boston, Atlanta, and the Chicago Cubs were all on hand in Miami with three weeks until the MLB Trade Deadline.

Grabbing the most attention in that game was Rays starter Nathan Eovaldi, who missed all of last season following Tommy John surgery. He’s on his fourth club in seven seasons, bouncing from the Dodgers, Yankees, Marlins, and now Rays.

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In seven starts Eovaldi has a 3.92 ERA with lefties struggling to hit him with a .190 batting average.

With a 2-3 record, Eovaldi has been dominant at times for the Rays and has not allowed an earned run in each of his two wins, with opponents hitting .028.

Two starts ago against the Washington Nationals Eovaldi threw six one-hit innings with nine strikeouts.

Philadelphia could be on the market for a starting pitcher behind Aaron Nola and Jake Arrieta. The trio of Vince Velasquez, Zach Eflin, and Nick Pivetta has been both flashy and dismal at times.

Velasquez was placed on the 10-day disabled list with a right-arm contusion after taking a line drive off his pitching arm.

Chastain points to several other players who could’ve picked up scouts attention, including infielder Matt Duffy and reliever Chaz Roe, neither of whom appeared in the game Wednesday night.

Duffy, the runner-up for Rookie of the Year in 2014 with San Francisco, has been hindered by an achillies injury since late 2016. Playing on the turf in Tampa Bay hasn’t helped, and he missed all of 2017 with the injury.

When healthy, Duffy is a promising starter at third base, something the Phillies don’t have. This year he’s hitting .315 with 15 doubles for Tampa Bay, and his first year of arbitration will come this offseason. Teams will have control of Duffy until he’s eligible for free agency in 2021.

ST. PETERSBURG, FL – MARCH 30: Pitcher Chaz Roe #52 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the sixth inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox on March 30, 2018 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images)
ST. PETERSBURG, FL – MARCH 30: Pitcher Chaz Roe #52 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the sixth inning of a game against the Boston Red Sox on March 30, 2018 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Brian Blanco/Getty Images) /

Roe is another player mentioned who is also under long-term team control, not eligible for free agency until 2022. Now 31-years-old, the righty has a 2.65 ERA with 38 strikeouts in 34 innings for Tampa Bay.

A first-round pick of the Rockies in 2005, Roe found himself playing Independent League ball in 2012 before playing for the Diamondbacks, Yankees, Orioles, Braves, and now Rays.

Roe’s 19 holds are the third-best in baseball, and the 20% of inherited runners scoring is the seventh-best among relievers who have inherited at least 20 runners.

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Of the Eovaldi/Duffy/Roe trio, Roe feels to be the most likely Phillies target with their need for a middle reliever who can shut down opponents. If the club trades Maikel Franco, Duffy could be a cheap rental, though that’s an unlikely move.

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