Major League Baseball has some significant differences from the other three major North American sports. MLB contracts are fully guaranteed, there’s no such thing as restricted free agency, and perhaps most peculiarly, trading draft picks is prohibited. The ongoing labor negotiations have given fans a preview of changes that could be coming, and the owners’ proposal last month included allowing draft picks to be traded. If that does come to pass, it could give the Philadelphia Phillies some more avenues to improve their roster.
The Phillies’ competitive window is coming to a close. Whether it be this year, next, or even a few years down the line, the current core of Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber and Zack Wheeler will need to pass the torch. Because of that ticking clock, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski needs to do everything he can to extend this current iteration’s window, because the future doesn’t look great.
The Phillies recently ranked second-to-last in Baseball America’s leaguewide farm system rankings, and the most recent trio of “can’t miss prospects” Justin Crawford, Aidan Miller and Andrew Painter have all failed to live up to expectations this year. Considering the myriad holes in the major league roster, Dombrowski’s barren farm system doesn’t give him much to trade away in order to bring in reinforcements. He’ll need to muddle through this summer’s trade deadline, but if draft picks become eligible to be traded this winter it should open up a world of possibilities.
Trading draft picks could get the Phillies back at the table for a superstar addition
As in any negotiation, you have to give something to get something in a baseball trade. Right now the only form of currency is major or minor league talent. After five straight seasons of poor drafting and development, combined with buying at the deadline, the Phillies’ cupboard is pretty much bare. The ability to trade picks would allow Dombrowski to swing some more deals next offseason or next summer, even though he doesn’t have much minor league talent left.
Imagine a world where a superstar could be traded not just for top prospects, but valuable draft pitcks as well. As things stand, the Phillies don't have the prospect capital to reel in a Tarik Skubal or Byron Buxton without leaving their farm system a smoldering ruin. What if instead of trading away Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller, the Phils simply parted with a handful of picks and some mid-tier prospects? It may not always be that easy, but it certainly gives the Phils more chips to cash in.
The Phillies’ long-term future looks pretty bleak. The current core is locked up for years to come, but is already starting to decline, and there aren’t enough heavy hitters down on the farm to form a new nucleus. The Phillies need to win a World Series in the next few years before the franchise is plunged into another dark age that rivals the 2012-2021 dead period. As things stand, there’s no reason not to mortgage even more of an already-compromised future by trading away draft capital in an effort to win a ring.
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