Phillies trade rumor: Club linked to several Tigers players

The Phillies trade rumor not only includes pitchers, but a big bat who could boost the lineup.

During their 15th inning 3-2 win against the Tigers the Phillies got an opportunity to see several Tigers players who could soon join their roster. Phillies trader rumor news has been hot and cold with the club several games out of the division race, but that hasn’t kept them entirely out of the conversation for some of baseball’s best young players.

Jon Morosi of MLB.com spoke about the future of several Tigers players prior to the game and mentioned the Phillies as a possible landing spot for several players.

Here’s what Morosi had to say about the Phillies and the Tigers:

Pitchers Matthew Boyd and Shane Greene have previously been connected to the Phillies, but this is the first time outfielder/third baseman Nicholas Castellanos has been directly tied into a Phillies trade rumor.

Let’s start first with Boyd, perhaps the most expensive pitcher on the trade market. With several years of control remaining the Tigers can hold out for an enormous package of prospects for their budding ace.

Phillies general manager Matt Klentak got an up-close look at Boyd Tuesday night when he took the ball against Philadelphia. Boyd struck out eight in six innings while giving up two runs on five hits and two walks.

It sounds as if the Phillies aren’t going for a big-name starter like Boyd, but a lot can change if they go on a run heading into the deadline.

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Greene also showed his stuff for Klentak in the Phillies win, going an inning with one strikeout. The 30-year-old reliever has a year of arbitration remaining, making him valuable for whichever team wants him.

With Tommy Hunter going down for the season with an arm strain and David Robertson still not back from injury the back of Philadelphia’s bullpen has been taxed. Greene makes sense as a closer or setup man, but will the Phillies pay up?

Castellanos would be intriguing for the Phillies in a couple of ways. For one he’d be a rental player, something the Phillies don’t seem interested in. Second is that he’d have to move around the diamond, something Morosi thinks would be in play.

If Maikel Franco is traded, Castellanos could be the stop-gap at third, a position he played regularly for four seasons, but not since 2017. He hasn’t played left field since his rookie 2013 season, but with Jay Bruce nursing an oblique injury that might be an option.

The league-leader in doubles, Castellanos would be a major upgrade over Franco, hitting .284 with 11 home runs. Would the Phillies outbid a team like the Rays for the power-hitting righty?

At this point, it would be a stretch to project Castellanos to the Phillies this year. The club has at least asked about his price tag, but it’s likely out of their budget. Unless the Tigers take Franco or a young major league pitcher I can’t see the Phillies getting Castellanos.