Philadelphia Phillies: 5 prospects who could be on the move

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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.

Glove and Philadelphia Phillies hat (Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images) /

3. Erik Miller

Erik Miller is another intriguing Phillies prospect, as he is a 6-foot-5 left-handed starter with the ability to strike out hitters. Combined across three levels in the Phillies system in 2019, reaching as high as the Lakewood BlueClaws, he went 1-0 with a 2.25 ERA, 1.111 WHIP, and 52-15 strikeouts-to-walks ratio through 11 appearances, seven starts, and 36 innings.

Miller, 22, is a guy who has the prospects to be a solid big-league pitcher. With a WHIP greater than 1.100 in 2019, the St. Louis native needs to get his walks down in order to be a big-league pitcher.

With a few “projects” ahead of him already, the Phillies may be impatient. Yet, him being ranked as the 10th-best Phillies prospect, it shows he does hold value and has a high ceiling. If the right deal is in place, this strikeout and walk-heavy pitcher could be moved.

2. Rafael Marchan

Catcher Rafael Marchan made his big league debut a bit prematurely last season. He did hit his first professional homer, providing one of the more exciting moments of the 2020 season. When it comes to the chance that Marchan gets traded, that all depends on J.T Realmuto.

If the Phillies can ink the rumoured five-year deal with J.T., then Marchan doesn’t provide the organization much value, especially after backup catcher Andrew Knapp‘s strong 2020 campaign. MLB.com has the 21-year-old ranked as the No. 7 prospect in the Phillies organization.

A strong 2021 campaign in the minors will help build his trade value even further, as teams seem to value young catchers. With many teams struggling to find their everyday backstop, Marchan could be a regular at the MLB level in just a short time. Time will tell if Realmuto is back in Philly, and, if so, that would mean Marchan could soon be on his way out.

1. Mickey Moniak

The No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 MLB draft and the 12th-ranked prospect in the Phillies organization, outfielder Mickey Moniak has been a major disappointment to this point. He saw some time at the major-league level last season and was underwhelming. Still 22, Moniak has the tools to be an everyday player at the big-league level.

With a win-now mentality in the front office, the Phillies may be inclined to move on from him if the right deal presents itself. There were rumors earlier this month that Moniak was being discussed in a potential trade for Boston Red Sox outfielder Andrew Benintendi. Although the trade has since been reported as unlikely to happen, Moniak being mentioned in rumors along shows the Phillies’ willingness to move on.

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