Phillies: Three more players who could be traded midseason

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PHILADELPHIA, PA – JULY 26: Philadelphia Phillies Starting Pitcher Jake Arrieta (49) walks to the dugout in the third inning during the game between the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies on July 26, 2019 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, PA. (Photo by Kyle Ross/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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.

Deivy Grullon

A name most of you probably weren’t expecting to be on this list, Deivy Grullon has established himself as one of the Phillies best minor league prospects in recent years. Hitting .283 in AAA last year, calls for Grullon to replace Andrew Knapp on the main roster grew louder and louder. With a new coaching staff coming in this past offseason, many felt Grullon would, in fact, start the season out as the team’s permanent backup catcher.

Unfortunately for Grullon, after getting limited reps in spring training due to injury, he was assigned back to AAA on March 9. Manager Joe Girardi cited that he wanted the young catcher to “get his reps in.”

While this sounds nice on the surface, at some point the front office has to look at what Grullon is, and the position which the Phillies are in with the catcher department. Set to hit the free agency market in 2021, 2x All-Star JT Realmuto is due for a massive extension from the Phillies this season. Projected to make $20+ million over five years, it’s a huge investment into the catcher position for the Phillies.

Realmuto is worth every penny, and the Phillies know this. They’ll likely expect him to play for more games during a regular season than a typical catcher would.

This leaves little room for the backup behind the plate. While Grullon is no doubt a better option than a guy like Knapp, it’s a borderline waste of assets to relegate a guy of his talent to a bench position. Throw in the fact that Grullon just turned 24 years old, at some point he’s going to want some actual playing time too.

Coming off a dominant AAA season in 2019, now would be the time to cash in on Grullon’s value. If the Phillies feel comfortable with Knapp running as a backup, and with Christian Bethancourt as the third option down in the minors, don’t be surprised if Grullon’s name starts getting shopped around.

Vince Velasquez

Similar to that of Nick Pivetta (who was mentioned in the previous article), Vince Velasquez is another Phillies pitcher who just could never figure things out. Despite owning a fiery fastball, a pitch which has earned him the name “Vinny Velo,” Velasquez’ control and consistency have been an issue for years on end.

Across five seasons with the Phillies Velasquez boasts a 4.67 ERA and a 1.364 ERA. Not great.

The Phils experimented with Velasquez as a relief pitcher in 2019, but to little avail. Not only did Velasquez struggle coming out of the ‘pen, but he very publicly expressed that he wanted to be a starting pitcher. The competition surrounding the fifth starting pitcher job was intense between Velasquez and Pivetta this past spring training. Ultimately, only one can win it. With the loser likely relegated to the bullpen.