The offseason for most teams continues to be a slow burn. The MLB Winter Meetings came to a close with some big names coming off the board, including the biggest star outfielder Juan Soto. The rest of the offseason will give the rest of the big-market teams a chance to flex their muscles, flashing massive contract offers in an attempt to sign free agents.
The Philadelphia Phillies are firmly in that tier of ball club and have proved it in their play over the last three seasons. To the Phillies' credit, they've spent the money to fill out the roster, but a change of gear now needs to happen to move the needle in the trade market and challenge the Mets for the division (subscription required), per David Murphy of The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The options were there for the taking, but the Phillies lost out on another trade target when the Houston Astros traded outfield star Kyle Tucker to the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Cubs close to acquiring Kyle Tucker from the Astros for a package led by IF Isaac Paredes. RHP Hayden Wesneski and 3B prospect Cam Smith also in play, sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 13, 2024
Fans would have loved to see Phillies top or at least match Cubs' Kyle Tucker trade package
Friday supplied the Philadelphia faithful with another gut punch as a Cubs' package of Issac Paredes, Hayden Wesneski and Cam Smith was sent to the Houston Astros in a trade for outfielder Kyle Tucker. Phillies fans are getting impatient, and outrage is running rampant online.
According to MLB insider Jim Bowden, the Phillies reportedly offered a trade package of their own mere hours before the Cubs' deal. That deal included both Nick Castellanos and Alec Bohm in a 2-for-1 for Tucker. The Astros declined the offer, which begs the question of why the Phillies couldn't top that offer.
Smith was the 14th overall pick for the Cubs last July and is a solid hitting prospect. Wesneski is still trying to find his full potential as a pitcher, and Paredes is a pull-happy middle-of-the-road third baseman. The offer of Bohm and Castellanos isn't terrible, but if we're being serious, a team like Houston is seeking youth to replenish some prospects to potentially replace third baseman Alex Bregman, who just walked into free agency.
Bohm's value is still a huge concern, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Castellanos, although he has some big moments, struggles with swing-and-miss too frequently. The Phillies have the depth in the farm system to get the deals done but aren't offering a sincere commitment to wooing the opposing teams into a trade.
The Phillies offered prospects shortstop Aidan Miller and outfielder Justin Crawford at last year's deadline in an attempt to land left-hander Garrett Crochet, so why not incorporate that into a deal for Tucker? Tucker has a career .890 OPS, is a perennial All-Star, and has amassed 19.1 fWAR over the last four seasons — certainly the kind of talent worth investing in, even for one season.