Phillies: Three more players who could be traded midseason
By David Esser
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.
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Assuming Velasquez loses the battle for the fifth starter job, it’s possible he could rejuvenate himself as an explosive long reliever for the Phils. It’s also possible that he whines and complains and proceeds to force himself out of Philly in hopes of landing a starting job elsewhere.
At 6’ 3” and 205lbs, Velasquez is an impressive athlete, there’s no denying that. Combine that with his fiery fastball, and he does detail the type of guy teams would be willing to take a chance on.
Similar to how the Philadelphia talked themselves into Pivetta back in 2015, another team could find themselves willing to part with some assets for a project type player in Velasquez.