Phillies rumor: Team showing heaviest trade interest in Mike Minor

A new Phillies rumor has them pushing for a lefty

A new Phillies rumor hit Twitter Thursday evening, but it has nothing to do with Manny Machado’s recent visit

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Phillies and Mets are the team “showing heaviest trade interest” in Texas Rangers left-handed starting pitcher Mike Minor.

Rosenthal notes the Mets are on Minor’s no-trade list, but the Phillies are not, making a trade easier for Matt Klentak to pull off.

Minor was connected to the Phillies earlier this week by Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports in a report that linked them to Minor and free agent Andrew Miller, who is reportedly signing with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Klentak has been pushing for a left-handed starter this offseason but has missed on free agents J.A. Happ and Patrick Corbin. Dallas Keuchel remains a hot name on the free agent market and Madison Bumgarner’s name has emerged in trade rumors, but nothing appears to be moving in that regard.

Philadelphia has also been linked to right-handed starters, most recently Corey Kluber earlier this week.

Minor would serve as a relatively cheap option in the rotation compared to Keuchel on the free agent market. He’s set to make $9.83 million this year and next, leaving the Phillies with some financial flexability not just this year, but down the road if they want to ink Machado or Bryce Harper to a long-term deal.

Minor missed two seasons and returned as a starter last year for Texas in 28 games. He went 12-8 with a 4.18 ERA with a team-high 3.8 WAR.

Potentially adding Minor feels like a “Moneyball” move for Klentak in an offseason where he’s swung hard at some big names and struck out early with Happ, Corbin, and Miller. With only Andrew McCutchen to show off as a free agent addition, Klentak might have to get creative to prove to other free agents the Phillies are ready to win now.