Jun 15, 2022; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Cincinnati Reds starting pitcher Luis Castillo (58) throws to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the first inning at Chase Field.Mlb Reds At Diamondbacks
Philadelphia Phillies will target starting pitchers at trade deadline
The trade deadline is less than a week away, and the Philadelphia Phillies know what they need.
Starting pitching, a better centerfielder if they can find one, and maybe another bullpen arm.
Earlier this week, president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, confirmed that the Phillies won’t be waiting around for Zach Eflin, whose knee issues have plagued him and the team for years:
“I’d love for him to come back, but I don’t know when, so I don’t think, from my perspective, that I can just say we’re going to wait for that to happen. I don’t think we can just sit here and wait to see what takes place.”
Cincinnati Reds righty Luis Castillo will be the belle of the trade deadline ball, and it will be impossible for the Phillies (or any other team) to get him without giving up top prospects.
Over 13 starts, the second-time All-Star posted a 2.77 ERA with 82 strikeouts and only 27 walks issued. Opposing batters are only managing to hit .199/.276/.303 with a meager .579 OPS against him. He’s pitching with the lowest home-run rate of his career, lowered his walks significantly from last year when he led the National League in them, and upped his strikeout rate by nearly 2%.
An extra year of club control will only drive up the Reds’ asking price for Castillo, who is arbitration-eligible for one more season. This also makes him a perfect target for the Phillies, who need to think short- and long-term about their starting rotation, as Eflin and Kyle Gibson hit free agency this winter.
Unfortunately, Castillo is a reach in more ways than one; reports suggest that the Reds are seeking two elite prospects in order to give him up, and Dombrowski says they’re hesitant to give up any top prospects at the deadline,
“Well, the premium guys are probably going to cost you your top prospects. I don’t think, as an organization, we’re in that position right now. I just don’t think we’re there.”
However, the Phillies should be in win-now mode, and one could argue that the organization is more “there” than any season in the last five years. The farm system is finally improving, they have four prospects in the Top 100, and they have a big-league team in the Wild Card hunt. Most importantly, every year they don’t push is another year of Bryce Harper’s prime, Zack Wheeler’s contract, and money down the drain. They’re closer than they’ve been in years, so why not go for gold?
Jul 23, 2022; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jose Quintana (62) throws a warm-up pitch against the Miami Marlins during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
The Phillies should consider targeting José Quintana
José Quintana is a more realistic back-end-of-the-rotation pitcher the Phillies could go for.
Over 19 starts this season, he’s posted a 3.70 ERA, his best since his All-Star season in 2016. He’s worked as both a starting pitcher and reliever over his 11-year career, most of which was spent with both Chicago teams. He’s also got a smidge of postseason experience, starting three games and making one relief appearance for the Cubs in the 2017 NLDS and NLCS.
This would be the second consecutive year that Quintana switches teams at the deadline; the Los Angeles Angels dealt him to the San Francisco Giants last summer.
However, the Phillies might be wary of negotiating with their in-state rivals, who sniped them at last year’s deadline. They’ll also have competition from several other teams, including the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox, with whom Quintana spend the first six years of his big-league career.
May 31, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics starting pitcher Frankie Montas (47) pitches against the Houston Astros during the seventh inning at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
Is Frankie Montas a realistic trade target for the Phillies?
Like Luis Castillo, Frankie Montas might be out of reach for the Phillies, but Dombrowski has pulled off huge trades in the past. Even last season, convincing the Texas Rangers to part with Kyle Gibson, Ian Kennedy, Hans Crouse, and $4M all for Spencer Howard and two low-level prospects is turning out to be a pretty unbalanced haul. He also once convinced the Arizona Diamondbacks to give the Detroit Tigers some guy named Max Scherzer, maybe you’ve heard of him?
Montas has a 3.18 ERA over 19 starts with Oakland this year. Among American League pitchers, he’s eighth in SO/9 and 10th in WHIP.
Montas also won’t hit free agency for the first time until 2024, so it might be worth giving up better prospects for an additional season.
