Phillies: Five players who could be traded this offseason

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 14: Aaron Altherr #23 of the Philadelphia Phillies smiles in the dugout after hitting a two run homerun in the bottom of the second inning against the Miami Marlins at Citizens Bank Park on September 14, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

After a dreadful second half the Phillies could be looking to overhaul the 25-man roster

Once 15 games over .500, the Phillies have suffered an epic collapse and are playing under .500 for the first time since April 9 going into the final week of the season. After their pitching carried them through the first 100 games the entire team has lost it’s gas and fallen flat.

Now entering one of the biggest offseasons in recent memory the Phillies will have some major decisions to make regarding players already on the roster before they add any other stars.

Here are five players who could find themselves off the major league roster and with another team by opening day 2019.

Aaron Altherr

The Phillies have been enamored with Aaron Altherr’s talents since he arrived on a full-time basis in 2015. Personally I’ve always seen Altherr as a AAAA outfielder, similar to John Mayberry Jr. who could pop 15 home runs but never be a full-time major league contributor.

Phillies fans, let's play Player A vs Player B

Player A's first 310 games: 217 hits/52 2B/36 HR/.227 BA
Player B's first 303 games: 197 hits/44 2B/35 HR/.254 BA

Who ya got? I'll reveal who they are later today
— PHILLIES TBOH (@FS_TBOH) September 26, 2018

Player A is Altherr, and Player B is Mayberry, who is no longer in Major League Baseball.

Injuries have hurt Altherr and this year he found himself out of a major league job after Nick Williams took over in right field. The combination of this year’s free agent possibilities and the emergences of Nick Williams/Roman Quinn feel like the end of Altherr in Philadelphia.

The value for Altherr is at an all-time low, and the Phillies might end up keeping him in Lehigh Valley or even designate him for assignment to clear way for prospects on the 40-man roster.

Carlos Santana

This move isn’t a given, but if the Phillies need to move Rhys Hoskins out of left field to make room for Bryce Harper, Santana could be on the move. Perhaps the Phillies continue to try him out at third base as they’ve done down the stretch this year?

After signing a monster three-year deal worth $60 million Santana has not lived up to the expectations brought on by fans and the team. While his 107 walks, 20th most in a single season in team history, are impressive, his career-worst .228 batting average is ghastly.

If all you wanted from Santana was 100+ walks and 20 home runs, you got your moneys worth. But I believe most fans and team executives were hoping for a batting average at least 30 points higher, and that’s bare minimum.

The biggest issue with moving Santana is his contract, which still carries over $40 million over two seasons.

We broke down what it would take to move Santana, which would be another team with a bad contract Philadelphia could take on to counter the pain of Santana’s. A team like Minnesota could be a landing spot for Santana with Joe Mauer retiring..

It’s more likely Santana will be back in red pinstripes next year, but his role remains an unknow.

Odubel Herrera

One of the biggest questions of the Phillies offseason will be the future of center field. Odubel Herrera is under contract through the 2021 season and they have two more years of options after that, potentially having him until he’s 32-years-old.

At times Herrera looks like a superstar, and the rest of the time it’s clear he skipped a couple levels of baseball. His 41-game on-base streak to start the season kicked off an MVP campaign that burned out. Herrera hit .343 in his first 27 games and continued to hit over .300 through the month of May, but he hasn’t hit over .300 since June 25.

Since June 26 Herrera has hit an abysmal .208 with a .267 on-base percentage.

Related Story. Pros and Cons of Trading Odubel. light

The emergence of a now-healthy Roman Quinn gave the Phillies lineup a spark, and his speed on the bases is intoxicating. Quinn is hitting .281 with 16 extra-base hits in his first 60 games, including last year.

In just 45 games this year Quinn leads the Phillies with four triples, and projects to have 11 over a 162 game season.

As always, what happens to the rest of the Phillies hangs in the balance of the Bryce Harper/Manny Machado saga. If the Phillies sign Harper they’ll need at least one open spot in the outfield. Does that domino effect knock Carlos Santana off first for Hoskins, or take Herrera out of center for Quinn/Nick Williams to move over from right?

If the Phillies can convince another team that the right coaching will keep Herrera on-pace for a batting title, then they could land a very good pitcher in return. If not, they could be stuck with him going forward.

Maikel Franco

Perhaps the most frustrating player in Phillies history, Maikel Franco could find himself playing for a new club next year. Anointed a savior for the offense the second he arrived in Philadelphia, the former top prospect has been anything but. He’s proven to be what he is after 500 major league games: a .250 hitter who can crush 20-25 home runs a season.

Everyone in the Phillies organization from Charlie Manuel to Mike Schmidt to Gabe Kapler believes Franco can be a superstar and perennial MVP candidate. But at some point, you have to move on and hope for a quality return.

What that return could be for Franco is a large unknown considering his performance and how well he projects as a player. If another organization sees him as a player they can mold into their own MVP candidate, then they’ll pay top dollar for the 25-year-old. If no one see’s him to be anything more than he’s proven to be, then the Phillies will likely get a mediocre player in return, perhaps a solid number three starter.

Franco’s future depends on Manny Machado, who sounds dead set on playing shortstop. Even if Machado signs, it’s possible the Phillies give J.P. Crawford a shot at third. Once a top prospect in baseball, Crawford has been marred by injuries, but has shown an excellent glove across the infield. He’s played only 70 major league games thus far and has gotten a fraction of the chances Franco has.

Since returning from his latest injury Crawford is hitting .318 over 13 games with four extra base hits. Crawford has historically struggled at the plate every time he moves up through the organization, and his batting average in September could be a sign he’s turned the corner.

Cesar Hernandez

Since joining the Phillies in 2013 Cesar Hernandez has been as consistent as any player on the 25-man roster. Many will say he has overachieved six years into his major league career, going from a utility player to a quality second baseman.

While Hernandez is not having a career-year this season his power and walk numbers are at an all-time high. His home run numbers have increased every season of his career, and his 92 walks are well-beyond anything he’s ever done in his professional career.

However, there is no room for Hernandez in the Phillies long-term plan despite him being the everyday second baseman since Chase Utley was traded.

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Scott Kingery, no matter how abysmal his rookie season was, is viewed as the second baseman of the future. His six-year contract proves that, and perhaps moving him back to second will lead to production at the plate.

Trade value for Hernandez likely won’t be at an all-time high after hitting .255 this year after two consecutive years of hitting .294. Some of that could be thanks to the coaching staff wanting him to walk more as a leadoff hitter, something he certainly accomplished.

Despite their success, Boston had the worst WAR among second basemen this year at -2.6 thanks to Dustin Pedroia’s ailing knees.

The team has gone as far as adding veterans Ian Kinsler and Brandon Phillips, both at least 36-years-old, and starting Eduardo Nunez, a free agent after this season.

Next. Ranking Every Player for the 2008 World Series. dark

If one player is going to be gone this offseason, I’d pick Hernandez out of the lot.

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