Phillies: Three more players who could be traded midseason
By David Esser
We’re taking a fresh look at some Phillies who could be traded this season
Five weeks ago, I wrote up a piece detailing three Phillies players who could be on the move at this year’s trade deadline.
With the MLB season currently up in the air, and a shortened season likely in play, no one is quite sure how/when a trade deadline will take place. Regardless, whenever baseball operations do resume, it’s likely some more trades will go down.
Original article: “Phillies: Three players who could be traded midseason“
The Phillies are in a unique position when it comes to potential transactions. They’re projected to be a fringe wild card team in 2020, they just hired a new manager who will be looking to shape the roster to his liking, and they have some ugly contracts they’d prefer to get rid of.
If the Phillies aren’t where they want to be by the “midseason” mark, add these three new names to the list of players who could be on the move.
Jake Arrieta
Arguably the worst free agent contract handed out by the Phillies in the last decade, Jake Arrieta’s tenure as a Philadelphia Phillie has been quite disastrous. From hiding injuries to smashing TVs, Arrieta’s bad contract has had it all. With Arrieta due to hit free agency in 2021, this upcoming season will no doubt be his last in the red and white pinstripes.
It’s excruciatingly obvious that the Phillies aren’t including Arrieta in their future plans, and are simply counting down the days until they can get out of that $25 million salary. While simply letting him play out the year and then walk in free agency is one way of going about things, finding a trade partner would allow the Phillies to squeeze out a tiny bit of value.
At 34 years old and coming off an injury-riddled 4.64 ERA season, it’s unlikely Arrieta is looking all that appealing to other teams. However, if he can string together just a few good starts to open the season, the Phillies should no doubt be calling around to any teams desperate for pitching.
Even just grabbing “cash considerations” would be a win for the Phillies and could open a rotation spot for top pitching prospect Spencer Howard.