The Philadelphia Phillies have been quiet so far this offseason, but that's likely to change next week with the MLB Winter Meetings from Dec. 9-12 in Dallas, Texas. A few significant moves have already taken place ahead of the meetings, with the Dodgers inking two-time Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell to a five-year, $182 million deal, and the rival New York Mets also making waves by signing right-hander Frankie Montas to a two-year, $34 million pact.
For Phillies fans tired of waiting for the hot stove to heat up, it's a pretty safe bet that the transaction wire will finally kick into overdrive once all 30 MLB general managers and player agents take over the hallways and conference rooms of the Hilton Anatole. While most of the spotlight will be directed at organization-altering free agent prizes like Juan Soto, Roki Sasaki and Pete Alonso, these meetings are frequently where trades are consummated or conceived, with the Phillies front office reportedly not shy about dealing a handful of established stars this offseason.
Which Phillies trade chip has the most value ahead of the MLB Winter Meetings?
The Phillies entered this offseason on the heels of a demoralizing four-game NLDS defeat at the hands of the rival Mets, and that was enough for team ownership and the front office to reevaluate the entire long game to extend the current competitive window. Outside of expected moves like non-tendering Austin Hays and re-signing backup catcher Garrett Stubbs to a split contract, reports of the Phillies being willing to listen to trade offers for its young core, as well as a few established veterans have raised some eyebrows among the team's dedicated fanbase.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the value that each player rumored to be on the trade block this winter could provide the Phillies in a deal.
No. 6: Taijuan Walker
At this point in Taijuan Walker's Phillies career, the team would love to move on from a pitcher who posted the worst numbers by a Phillies pitcher in the last 30 years with a telling -1.1 fWAR. The Phillies sure did everything they could to get Walker right in 2024, much to the team's detriment at a low point in the middle of the summer.
A 3-7 record combined with a 7.10 ERA in 19 appearances left a lot to be desired, and the Phillies have made Walker no promises of a rotation spot heading into next season.
As far as Walker's value is concerned, it's non-existent. With two years and $36 million remaining on his contract, the Phillies would likely have to pay a substantial amount of that contract if they are successful in finding a trade partner willing to try to fix the struggling veteran's mechanics. That's probably not going to happen, with the more likely scenario involving the Phillies releasing Walker at some point next season when his unappealing contract dips below the $30 million mark.
No. 5: Nick Castellanos
Trading Nick Castellanos this winter also only provides the Phillies with an open roster spot and more capital to sign a top-tier free agent without pushing the team into the deepest end of the luxury tax pool. Like Walker, Castellanos is still owed a large sum of money with $40 million remaining on his five-year, $100 million deal signed in 2022.
Could the Phillies find a taker for the remainder of that deal this offseason? It's possible, but just like dealing Walker, the Phillies would probably still be on the hook for paying a large sum of that contract in any trade.
While the team has stressed taking a more disciplined team-wide approach at the plate next season, and Castellanos has been known as a free swinger at the dish, the durable right fielder was far from the biggest problem on a Phillies team that lost its offensive mojo halfway through the regular season in 2024. With top free agent outfielder Juan Soto mulling multiple offers from a small group of interested teams, dealing Castellanos this offseason could be a crippling mistake.
No. 4: Brandon Marsh
It's not unreasonable to be frustrated with Brandon Marsh's stalled development as an everyday MLB outfielder. When the Phillies traded top catching prospect Logan O'Hoppe, the deal seemed like an even exchange of young players with some roadblocks to playing time in their respective former organizations.
While Marsh has put up respectable numbers over his two full seasons in a Phillies uniform, his struggle to hit consistently against left-handed pitching has opened up the possibility of being stuck in a platoon role very soon if the fan favorite scuffles again early next season.
Recent comments from Matt Gelb about the Phillies front office having a change of heart pour water on early offseason reports that Marsh was indeed available for trade. Marsh is still relatively young (he turns 27 on Dec. 18) and arbitration-eligible for the next three seasons, so a breakthrough against left-handed pitching is still a very real possibility. While Marsh's value takes a hit due to his aforementioned deficiencies, the Phillies could still receive a decent return if Marsh is packaged in a deal with other young players for a top-tier starter this winter.
No. 3: Ranger Suárez
This year was a tale of two seasons for Phillies southpaw Ranger Suárez. After breaking out in the first half of the season and earning his first career All-Star nod, Suárez's season came crashing back to earth after injuries and a lack of command turned him from a Cy Young candidate to a rotation liability down the stretch.
It all begs the question: What version of Ranger Suárez will we see in 2025?
That question has a major impact on Suárez's value if the Phillies have actually discussed dealing the arbitration-eligible left-hander this offseason. With Suárez due to hit free agency at the end of next season, it was interesting to see the Phillies sign fellow left-handed starter Cristopher Sánchez to a contract extension and be willing to go to arbitration with Suárez again this winter.
Maybe the Phillies have an idea of what Suárez will want in free agency and are not willing to go there, but as Braves starter Chris Sale taught us all this past season, selling low on an impact player can have disastrous results.
No. 2: Bryson Stott
Bryson Stott's name in the rumor mill came as a bit of a surprise this offseason. The Gold Glove-caliber second basemen had a down season in 2024 after opening eyes at the plate during his first two seasons as a Phillies lineup regular.
Stott's batting average and power took a noticeable dip this past year, slashing .245 with 11 home runs while failing to match his career-high 32 doubles from a season before. Despite leading the team with 32 stolen bases, much of Stott's regression can be attributed to a poor .233 batting average against left-handed pitchers.
While Stott doesn't fill out the scorecard, it was clear toward season's end that he should sit more against southpaws in favor of lefty-mashing utilityman Edmundo Sosa. With three years of arbitration left before hitting free agency in 2028, selling low on Stott could turn out to be a big mistake.
That being said, teams like the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee Brewers are rumored to covet young position players. Stott's previous flashes of potential could be enough to help the Phillies net a significant return via trade — if he's still available.
No. 1: Alec Bohm
Trading Alec Bohm seems like a foregone conclusion at this point. After recently being swatted down by the Seattle Mariners in trade talks for young starters Logan Gilbert and George Kirby, the Phillies will either need to add a prospect to the package or readjust their expectations for what a return for Bohm could possibly yield in a trade. With the Winter Meetings around the corner, readjusting expectations is the likely outcome.
It's not like Bohm has zero value. Just like Ranger Suárez, a second-half dip in production due to the effects of a nagging hand injury and a prolonged hitting slump that lingered through July and August marred what was a breakout season for a player who was the Phillies' top run producer in the first half. While Bohm added an All-Star superlative to his name this season, the noted second-half drop in production and rumors of the team being tired of Bohm's off-field behavior have recently found the maligned slugger labeled by rival execs as a "good but not great player" (subscription required) according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
That being said, Bohm is only 28 and has two seasons of arbitration eligibility left before hitting free agency in 2027. Bohm could fetch a reasonable return if packaged with prospects in a bigger deal but likely would only net a similar change of scenery type of talent in a one-for-one deal straight up. All of this likely hinges on the Phillies seeking some future salary relief while also opening up a spot for the team's No. 1 prospect Aidan Miller to make his debut at some point over the next two seasons.