That Balls Outta Here
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Phillies midseason trade options limited by prospect pool

By John Town

CLEARWATER, FL - FEBRUARY 16: Adonis Medina (77) throws a bullpen session during the Philadelphia Phillies spring training workout on February 16, 2019 at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
CLEARWATER, FL - FEBRUARY 16: Adonis Medina (77) throws a bullpen session during the Philadelphia Phillies spring training workout on February 16, 2019 at the Carpenter Complex in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Phillies have several needs to fill at the trade deadline this year, but their limited prospect pool will make that harder to do.

While the Phillies are among the best teams in the league, their flaws are still evident. Injuries decimated their bullpen, the starting rotation isn’t the stabilizing presence it was supposed to be, and the offense is extremely inconsistent.

Considering these flaws, the club will likely be active at the trade deadline. They already made one move to bolster the offense, adding Jay Bruce from the Mariners last week. It won’t be the last one they make.

While nearly everyone is demanding trades to fix this hole and that hole, few are bothering to figure out if the team has the assets to make a deal that will make a significant impact.

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Unlike previous years, Philadelphia’s farm system isn’t replete with talent. Baseball America ranked their farm system No. 8 overall in 2016 and No. 6 in 2017 and 2018. After trading top prospect Sixto Sanchez to Miami for J.T. Realmuto during the offseason, Philadelphia’s farm system ranked No. 23 coming into the year.

Sanchez was the best trade chip the team had.

Without him, they don’t have a similar caliber of a prospect to make a trade this summer. Sanchez was necessary to make the Realmuto trade and was reportedly needed to acquire Manny Machado last year at the trade deadline potentially.

Alec Bohm and Spencer Howard are the prospects who would fetch the best return, but even then they could only get you so much. Howard’s value is low at this point with him missing the last month due to shoulder soreness. Bohm is the best prospect in the system according to Baseball America’s most recent update, but he could be the team’s everyday third baseman by next year.

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Bohm or Howard would likely be necessary to acquire Mike Minor or Madison Bumgarner, the top two starting pitchers available this summer. Bumgarner would be a rental, so giving up one of your top prospects would be a tall order. However, it may be necessary given Bumgarner’s potential market.

Starting pitching is just one need though with the bullpen, outfield, and third base still needing attention. If the team gives up one of Bohm or Howard to land a starting pitcher, it limits the caliber of reliever or bat the team could then add with a limited prospect pool behind those two guys.

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With all the holes Philadelphia needs to plug, Matt Klentak will have to get creative, filling them considering the team’s already shallow farm system. By the end of the year, the organization could be stripped entirely of all impact talent to make a playoff run.

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