As trades start happening, baseball fans are getting revved up for the quickly approaching MLB trade deadline. Philadelphia Phillies fans have been waiting for the front office to dive in and make some noise on the trade market. They started on Saturday afternoon with their first deal of the deadline season, although it's not exactly a trade that the fan base has been waiting anxiously for.
The Phillies made an early deal with the Detroit Tigers six days ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, adding outfielder Brewer Hicklen in exchange for cash considerations. Hicklen, 29, is coming back for his second stint with the Phillies organization. He won't join the big club, however, as the Phillies optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The corresponding 40-man roster move sees right-hander Ryan Cusick designated for assignment.
The Phillies acquired OF Brewer Hicklen from the Tigers for cash and optioned him to triple-A Lehigh Valley, the teams announced. To make room on the 40-man roster, RHP Ryan Cusick was designated for assignment.
— Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) July 26, 2025
Could Phillies’ early trade deadline move for Brewer Hicklen be a precursor for a prospect promotion?
Hicklen, who was originally a 2017 seventh-round pick of the Kansas City Royals, has 13 major league plate appearances over 10 games split between the Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and the Tigers. He picked up his first two MLB hits this season and has two career stolen bases to his credit.
The Phillies first traded for Hicklen from Kansas City in August 2023, and he appeared in 11 games in Triple-A. He slashed .250/.413/.472 with two home runs and six stolen bases for the IronPigs.
The move to bolster the organization's outfield depth might have come as a precursor as the Phillies look ahead past Thursday's trade deadline. If they are unable to swing a trade for a difference-making outfielder, they could, and should, consider calling up top prospect Justin Crawford for his MLB debut. The 21-year-old Crawford has continued hitting in Triple-A this season, slashing .326/.409/.430 with three homers and 31 stolen bases.
The only problem is that the former first-round pick is a left-handed hitter, and the Phillies' lineup already has a bevy of lefty hitters. There have been thoughts that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski could move a current left-handed-hitting outfielder at the deadline. That could come in the form of trading of Brandon Marsh or possibly even releasing the underachieving Max Kepler.
Whether Hicklen sees any big league action this season remains to be seen. But it would be surprising to see the front office call him up before giving Crawford a chance.