Spring training is almost here with just one week until pitchers and catchers report. Even though it feels like the Philadelphia Phillies' offseason is already over, there's still a chance of moves being made before, and after, they all show up in Clearwater. Some players won't be going anywhere, but other fringe pieces and reserves, like Edmundo Sosa, could be moved.
The Phillies front office is content with the roster, but other teams are still scrounging to figure things out. If the right trade partner comes calling, you can expect president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to pick up the phone and make a deal if it makes sense and improves the roster.
One such trade partner might be the New York Yankees, at least according to the New York Post's Joel Sherman. The veteran Yankees insider recently put together a comprehensive exploration of New York's ongoing search for a right-handed bat or two (an undertaking that sounds familiar to us Phillies fans).
Edmundo Sosa has been invaluable to the Phillies, which is why the Yankees might want him in trade
Sherman included some possible trade options that he feels would be worth the Yankees time to at least "kick the tires on." His list begins with the Phillies' Sosa as the top option (subscription required).
"He plays everywhere and hits lefty pitching," Sherman notes. "And is the kind of aware player any contender would want as a 10th man. Because of that, Philadelphia has been smartly reluctant to trade him."
Phillies fans are more than aware of the 29-year-old Sosa's immense value to their team. Since joining the Phillies in a 2022 trade with the St. Louis Cardinals, the utility infielder has proven his worth over and over and over again.
Sosa, who will turn 30 before Opening Day, has been a fixture on the Phillies' bench each Opening Day since arriving from the Cardinals. He has done everything manager Rob Thomson has asked of him. From filling in for an injured Trea Turner for an extended stretch in 2024 to taking a surprising turn in the outfield last year, it seems that every time Sosa gets in the lineup he makes an impact with his bat or his glove, or both.
THREE HOMERS FOR EDMUNDO SOSA!
— MLB (@MLB) September 25, 2025
The @Phillies have set a new franchise record with EIGHT homers tonight! pic.twitter.com/01dOX6b660
In his 308 games with the Phillies, he is hitting a healthy .264 with a .755 OPS (105 OPS+). He began the 2025 season as the hottest hitter in baseball and forced his way into more action early on than he likely would have seen otherwise. He finished the year batting .276 with a .777 OPS (109 OPS+) in 243 at-bats.
That willingness to be ready off the bench for any situation is probably why the Yankees, another perennial contender, have been tangentially connected to him on and off for a couple of years.
With the Phillies looking ahead to another run into the postseason, dealing the invaluable Sosa might seem like a foolish notion, but…
Sherman does offer some hope for Yankees fans, however. Sosa is scheduled to hit free agency next offseason and that's the reason Sherman could see the Phillies "budging." Well, that and the Phillies' starting rotation depth and outfield needs.
The Phillies' rotation depth is lacking, to put it nicely. If there are any health issues beyond Zack Wheeler's Opening Day uncertainty, the Phillies have the following available to them in Triple-A: right-handers Jean Cabrera, Yoniel Curet, Alan Rangel, and Bryse Wilson and lefty Tucker Davidson.
Looking at that depth chart after Taijuan Walker and prospect Andrew Painter, if the Yankees made the right offer, Dombrowski and general manager Preston Mattingly might be willing to move Sosa.