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Phillies rumors: Five relievers worth trading for this year

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TORONTO, ON - MAY 10: Ken Giles #51 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch in the ninth inning during MLB game action against the Chicago White Sox at Rogers Centre on May 10, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 10: Ken Giles #51 of the Toronto Blue Jays delivers a pitch in the ninth inning during MLB game action against the Chicago White Sox at Rogers Centre on May 10, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) /
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CINCINNATI, OHIO – MAY 16: David Hernandez #37 of the Cincinnati Reds throws a pitch in the 8th inning against the Chicago Cubs at Great American Ball Park on May 16, 2019, in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images) /

David Hernandez

Another potential (albeit less fulfilling) reunion could be with 34-year-old David Hernandez. The righty knows a thing or two about bouncing around, pitching in six organizations during his career.

Hernandez originally pitched for the Phillies back in 2016 when the team went 71-91 under manager Pete Mackanin. In 70 appearances, Hernandez had a 3.84 ERA, 4.32 fielding-independent pitching, 1.500 WHIP, and 2.50 strikeout-to-walk ratio that year.

Hernandez is now in the final season of his two-year contract with the Reds, who once again are at the bottom of the NL Central. They made strides forward during the offseason, but not quite enough to contend with the rest of the division. This makes Hernandez and his expiring contract entirely expendable for the Reds.

Hernandez wouldn’t be quite the addition that the previous two relievers would be. That would mean he wouldn’t cost nearly as much in a trade and would not be as much of a risk. He could be acquired for a low-level prospect or even just cash depending on how his numbers look in July.

Hernandez is having a slightly above-average season by his standards with a 3.57 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 10.72 strikeouts per nine innings, and 3.57 walks per nine innings. His 2.56 fielding-independent pitching is the second-best of his career thanks to his one home run allowed in 22.2 innings pitched.

While Hernandez may not be the most attractive trade deadline option for the Phillies, not every team can land one of the top names on the market. Still, he may be worth picking up before the deadline.

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