After spending almost a decade without a taste of the MLB playoffs, the Philadelphia Phillies have managed to successfully reach the postseason in each of the past three years. Led by core players Bryce Harper, Aaron Nola and company, they have given Phillies fans something to cheer about whenever October has rolled around each season.
However, despite the progress, the Phillies appear to be heading in the wrong direction. They went from being finalists in the World Series in 2022 to casualties in the NLCS in 2023, to now being eliminated early in the NLDS in 2024. With the Phillies running it back with practically the same core group in each of the past two seasons, it has now become apparent that whatever they currently have right now isn’t working.
As a result, a significant roster shakeup of some sort may be required to get them back on track and potentially over the hump to finally capture the World Series title that has eluded them. With that in mind, we will take a look at four Phillies players who are the most likely to be traded this offseason to help facilitate that success.
4 Phillies players most likely to be traded this offseason
Brandon Marsh
Brandon Marsh was originally acquired by the Phillies back at the 2022 trade deadline from the Los Angeles Angels. Since then, he has become a staple in their lineup for the most part until now. Marsh had been able to provide some solid defense, with 7 DRS overall and committing 10 errors for a .983 fielding percentage over the past three seasons with the club. In addition, he has chipped in with some offensive production from the bottom third of the batting order, averaging double-digit home runs and 60 RBI in each of the last two years.
His defense isn’t at the elite levels Johan Rojas can provide, and his offensive numbers aren’t spectacular like Nick Castellanos can put up. More notably, he has continued to struggle mightily against left-handed pitching, as he had for much of his MLB career. He batted an abysmal .192 with a .552 OPS and a whopping 33 strikeouts in 78 at-bats in 2024, making him realistically a platoon player at best.
Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer points out that with Marsh’s career strikeout rate of 32.8 percent, along with the deficiency in offense from the left field position for the Phillies this season (.710 OPS, tied for 15th in the majors), it makes sense to trade Marsh for a more offensively-minded outfielder to better fit the team’s needs.
With big free agents, including top prize Juan Soto, available in the market this offseason, the Phillies have a massive opportunity to significantly boost their outfield and find a potential long-term solution. In doing so, it could leave Marsh without a role for 2025, as he would become expendable.