Phillies trade rumor: Team eyeing Reds Tanner Roark

The Phillies latest Phillies rumor has them eyeing a back of the rotation starter.

With less than a week left until the MLB trade deadline, the Phillies rumor mill has churned out a new name that has fans fastly underwhelmed: Tanner Roark.

The former Nationals starter turned Reds reclamation project is the latest Phillies trade rumor subject after Jon Heyman of Fancred reported Philadelphia is interested in the 32-year-old righty.

As Heyman notes, the Phillies are looking for players with more than one year of control, which Roark does not have. Cincinnati has Roark on a one-year $10 million deal this year with him coming off a league-worst 15 losses in Washington.

Roark has pulled his ERA down below four this season, something he hasn’t finished the season with since 2016. Through 107 innings he’s struck out 106 batters and given up 14 home runs. In half of his starts this season he’s failed to pitch more than five innings, but given up three runs or less in all but five starts.

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The righty certainly fits under the “Joe Blanton” style player general manager Matt Klentak eluded to in his recent comments regarding the type of player the team is likely to acquire at the trade deadline.

Philadelphia has been connected to big name starters such as Matthew Boyd, Zach Greinke, Mike Minor, and Robbie Ray, all of whom have more than a year of control remaining on their deals.

If the price is too rich for the Phillies’ blood this year then a low-risk pitcher like Roark could be the move to get through the season.