Phillies prospects who could be traded to improve the MLB roster.
The Philadelphia Phillies created a buzz this offseason by hiring Dave Dombroski as their new president of baseball operations.
Throughout his long front office career, Dombrowski has been known for building “win-now” teams. As a result, speculation has formed about what Phillies prospects he may flip for proven players. Here are five who could be traded.
5. Daniel Brito
Signed during the 2014-15 international signing period, the Phillies were hoping Daniel Brito could be a long-term middle infield replacement for then-second baseman Cesar Hernandez.
Now 23, his glove is pretty solid, but his bat is lacking. As a result, Brito doesn’t exactly have a clear path to playing time at the major league level anytime soon. Playing 103 games for the Clearwater Threshers in 2019, Brito slashed .243/.296/.325 with 83 hits, four being home runs, 32 RBI, 22 walks, and 73 strikeouts.
In the field, Brito was versatile, playing 560 1/3 innings at second base, 242 at shortstop, and 62 at the hot corner. He committed only seven errors combined. Brito could be a nice addition to a trade for a team searching for a middle infield prospect.
4. James McArthur
Right-handed starting pitcher James McArthur was drafted by the Phillies in the 12th round of the 2018 MLB draft out of the University of Mississippi. He is a massive 6-foot-7 pitcher with a fastball that can touch 97 miles per hour.
McArthur, ranked as the 22nd-best Phillies prospect, has the prospects to be effective at the big-league level. One thing working against him is his age, as he is now 24 years old but has yet to pitch at the Double-A level or higher. Spanning 25 appearances and 13 starts combined in 2019 between the Lakewood BlueClaws and Clearwater Threshers, he went 3-7 with a 4.95 ERA, 1.446 WHIP, and 91-48 strikeouts-to-walks ratio across 83 2/3 innings.
With a fastball in the upper 90s, he fits what modern-day bullpens are looking for. A strong start to 2021 could help build up his value as a trade piece to acquire someone more established. What we know about Dombroski is that he won’t hesitate to trade prospects who are unproven.