While the rest of the country was celebrating the 250th birthday of the United States of America and watching Joey Chestnut win his 18th Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest, Dave Dombrowski was busy doing what he loves most: wheeling and dealing.
The Philadelphia Phillies have traded minor-league pitcher Ryan Degges to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for international signing bonus money. Degges, a 17th-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, has been pitching at High-A Jersey Shore for most of this season.
That increased allotment to the team's international bonus pool will allow them to sign right-handed pitcher Hua Ho out of Taiwan.
That money will allow them to sign Taiwanese RHP Hua Ho for $500,000. 6-2, FB up to 95 w quick arm, splitter and slider main secondary @MLBPipeline #phillies https://t.co/7cEzbuNkaM pic.twitter.com/ESz1TlMrRT
— Jonathan Mayo (@JonathanMayo) July 4, 2026
Phillies continue to play international market, though bigger trades await in July
Though this is hardly the kind of headline-making trade Phillies fans have been waiting for, these are the smaller moves that can help an organization down the road. There's little information out there about Ho, but he's a 6'2" right-hander with impressive velocity for an international prospect. A $500,000 signing bonus is indicative that the Phillies at least believe he's got a lot of untapped potential.
The franchise has also had plenty of success with international prospects in the past. Just recently, 17-year-old Francisco Renteria was named a top-100 prospect by MLB Pipeline and earned the Phillies' Minor League Hitter of the Month honor for June. Such players are always lottery tickets, but if they pan out, they can change the status of an entire farm system.
If the Phillies truly believe Ho has the goods to become a legitimate prospect, Degges was a small price to pay. He authored a 3.89 ERA in 22 appearances (18 starts) in Single-A last year, but he struggled mightily upon the jump to High-A this season. He isn't Rule 5 eligible until after 2027, but a 23-year-old pitcher with tons of reliever risk and a 6.49 FIP in A-ball isn't worth losing sleep over.
Bigger trades than this should be on the horizon, as the deadline of Aug. 3 is now less than a month away. The team already brought in one major leaguer, outfielder Derek Hill, after Adolis Garcia went down with injury, and he's performed admirably in limited playing time (127 wRC+ in 35 plate appearances). Considering the Phillies' assortment of needs in the rotation, bullpen, and outfield (and for a right-handed hitter in general), this Degges-for-Ho swap should be considered a mere appetizer for what's to come.
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