Five former Phillies prospects who probably shouldn’t have been traded
The Philadelphia Phillies and their revamped front office have an important offseason ahead, as they look to retool the roster amid a 10-year-long postseason drought.
At least a few moves may involve a trade and one of their top-ranked prospects. President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, after all, is known for making such moves and turning non-contenders into championship hopefuls.
Trading prospects is always a wild card. Many end up not translating their Double- or Triple-A success into the big-leagues. However, you never know which prospect might turn into something special. Here are five who the Phillies have traded in recent years, of whom the organization probably wishes they still had.
1. Curtis Mead, Infielder
Nearly two years ago, the Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays partnered in a November trade. Then-general manager Matt Klentak acquired left-handed pitcher Cristopher Sanchez for minor-league infielder Curtis Mead.
A native of Australia, Mead has had nothing but success since the trade, including posting a strong showing in the ongoing Arizona Fall League — slashing .324/.368/.577 with 10 extra-base hits and 11 RBI in 17 games. He also has an impressive 19-game hitting streak in the Fall League.
This past season, Mead rose all the way from the Single-A to Triple-A level in the Rays’ system. He proceeded to hit .429 over 14 plate appearances at the latter.
Mead can play both first and third base — two positions the Phillies would not mind to upgrade defensively. The 21-year-old committed only six errors across 633 2/3 innings and 170 chances at the hot corner in 2021. At first base, he committed only one error in 131 innings and 119 chances.