3 players acquired via trade the Phillies need more from in 2022

The Philadelphia Phillies have several trade acquisitions who need to step up in 2022

The Philadelphia Phillies don’t make a lot of trades, due in large part because they don’t have a lot that they’re willing to give up that other teams would actually want.

But the few players they have acquired via trade, like their teammates, have struggled in recent years, contributing to the team’s overall struggles.

If the Phillies want to contend in 2022, they need to make upgrades, but they also need their current players to improve.

1. Kyle Gibson (under contract through 2022)

Acquired from the Texas Rangers with Ian Kennedy and Hans Crouse, Kyle Gibson was having a great year at the time. Then, he came to Philadelphia and his ERA nearly doubled.

Whereas he had a 2.87 ERA over 19 starts with the Rangers, he posted a 5.09 ERA over 12 games with the Phillies. In fairness, he pitched 113 innings in Texas and only 69 in Philly, so a few bad games really messed with his ERA.

The contract the Phillies took on when they traded for Gibson goes through 2022, so the Phillies have him for one more year. With Zach Eflin’s rehab from knee surgery and Aaron Nola’s effectiveness up in the air, the Phillies need better from Gibson this season.

Realistically, Gibson had a 4.57 ERA before 2021, so if he pitches below that in 2022, that’ll be a win for the Phillies.

2. Jean Segura (under contract through 2022, club option 2023)

Jean Segura had a solid season in 2021, but only played 131 games. The Phillies have him under contract through 2022, with a club option for 2023, but ideally, they need him to play a bit more, especially to pick up a lineup that currently projects to have 3B Alec Bohm and SS Didi Gregorius, two serious underperformers in 2021.

The Mariners traded Segura to the Phillies ahead of the 2019 season, after signing him to a five-year deal for $70M the year before.

3. J.T. Realmuto (under contract through 2025)

Yes, the Phillies have already re-signed J.T. Realmuto since acquiring from the Miami Marlins via trade, but in our defense, the Phils don’t exactly make a lot of trades.

Realmuto was an All-Star in 2021, but actually put up some of his lowest numbers in years. His .263 average was the lowest it’s been since 2015, his .439 slugging at a low not seen since 2016. For the first time since 2017, his OPS was under .800.

More than Gibson and Segura, Realmuto needs to step up his game in 2022. He is the only player on this list signed by the Phillies after being traded to them, so they have a lot of time and money invested in his success.