4 Phillies players who have sealed their trade deadline fate after recent slide

The Philadelphia Phillies will be buyers leading up to the July 31 MLB trade deadline. Heading into their series versus the Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia had been in the midst of its worst stretch of games of the year so far, losing nine of their previous 10 contests.

Before the lengthy suspension of reliever José Alvarado, the Phillies needed another bullpen arm. Jordan Romano and Orion Kerkering each got off to a slow start in April. Both have put together stretches of several good games consecutively, but have not been flawless. Nevertheless, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will likely add at least one more reliever by the conclusion of the trade deadline, following Alvarado's suspension that includes the postseason.

The Phillies' outfield troubles, evident since 2024, have continued this year. It is not surprising, either. Right fielder Nick Castellanos has been relatively solid this year. However, manager Rob Thomson is currently platooning Max Kepler with Weston Wilson in left field and Brandon Marsh with Johan Rojas in center. None of these four has demonstrated enough consistency offensively to warrant full-time play.

The club's recent slump is primarily due to its offense. The Phillies managed to score only two runs or fewer in six of its last nine games before Monday's walk-off win. With their needs evident in the outfield and bullpen, which players have sealed their trade deadline fate?

4 Phillies players who have sealed their trade deadline fate after recent slide

Brandon Marsh/Johan Rojas, OF

Either Marsh or Rojas may be traded by the deadline. Marsh was in trade rumors earlier this season following his horrific offensive start, in which he did not have a hit during 14 consecutive games. He had a better month in May, slashing his way to a .298/.385/.439 line and a .824 OPS over his next 22 contests.

He had been average so far in June before his big game on Monday. He's now hitting .333/.444/.333 in 15 at-bats this month.

Rojas stepped up for a struggling Marsh during April with a slash line of .304/.339/.393 and an OPS of .732 heading into May. The center fielder was the complete opposite during the second full month of the season, as he had a .167/.239/.262 line and a .501 OPS in 21 games. He has two hits in six June contests.

Perhaps Dombrowski elects to hold on to both Marsh and Rojas the rest of the season for outfield depth. If the Phillies trade for an outfielder, the new acquisition will likely be a free agent at the end of the season and may sign elsewhere in the offseason.

Neither Marsh nor Rojas looks to be suited for a full-time role with Philadelphia, and the club is hindered by having only one outfielder worthy of playing full-time in Castellanos. Both Marsh and Rojas have enough of a sample size playing for the franchise. One of them may be traded by the deadline because the team may be looking to make a change in their outfield.

Max Kepler, OF

Kepler is another outfielder who has demonstrated inconsistency at the plate for Philadelphia so far. He signed a one-year deal with the organization last winter, so could the club include him in a trade for a roster need by the deadline? It's possible, particularly if they acquire another outfielder who is in the midst of a better offensive season.

Kepler had an average first month, finishing with an OPS of .754 and a line of .253/.343/.411 in 27 games. He struggled in May, with only two games with more than one hit in 25 contests. His line for the month was .188/.275/.375 with a .650 OPS. He is off to a bad start in June, with only one hit in 19 at-bats.

He does not look like the answer for the Phillies in terms of another outfielder possessing offensive consistency. Kepler's current season slash line before Tuesday's action is .207/.294/.363 with an OPS of .656 in 60 games.

If the Phillies were to acquire another outfielder in a separate trade not involving Kepler, Dombrowski could deal him for a minimal return. Philadelphia may not be the right fit for him. Austin Hays is a good example of this, based on his better numbers with the Cincinnati Reds so far in 2025. He dealt with injuries and struggles at the plate following the Phillies' acquisition of him at last year's trade deadline. The bottom line is that the organization needs to find a better solution to its outfield platoon situation.

Mick Abel, RHP

Mick Abel represents one of the Phillies' top-ranked prospects who could be traded this summer. His playing time with the team is based on filling in for an injured starting pitcher. It resembles a similar situation to that of utility player Kody Clemens, a former Phillie designated for assignment who is now with the Minnesota Twins, playing more frequently.

Unless there's an injury to a starting pitcher, as currently with Aaron Nola, the Phillies do not have room to include Abel in their starting rotation regularly. Philly has starters Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Cristopher Sánchez, Jesús Luzardo and Andrew Painter all under contract for 2026. Ranger Suárez, a pending free agent, may re-sign with Philadelphia this offseason, but it appears unlikely at this point with the team's depth at the position.

If top prospect Painter does well in limited innings during the second half of the season and the remaining starters are healthy, Abel does not have a spot potentially on the Phillies roster until the start of 2027. A team that will be sellers with a need for starting pitching will have interest in acquiring the Phillies' 15th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft.

Abel improved substantially in Triple-A with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs from last year before his first MLB start with the Phillies in May. He has an ERA of 2.21 and a 6-2 record in 10 starts in Lehigh Valley this season. He has 26 walks and 67 strikeouts as well. After 10 starts in 2024, the right-hander had a 1-6 record and a 6.31 ERA. He walked 33 hitters and his strikeouts were down considerably, with only 39.

The Portland, Oregon, native managed to walk no batters in his first two major league starts. Ahead of his start on Tuesday, Abel had a 0.79 ERA and 11 strikeouts as well. His tendency to walk hitters during his time in the minors remains a concern for him. Other than that, he looks ready to pitch in the majors.

The Phillies shouldn't necessarily be eager to trade Abel. If he is still with the organization following the deadline, that would be a good thing for the team's future. However, teams that will be sellers at the trade deadline will look for promising prospects that are available. This is the unfortunate cost of doing business for playoff-contending organizations such as the Phillies at the trade deadline.

More Phillies Rumors from That Ball's Outta Here