Things suddenly seem to be trending upward for the Philadelphia Phillies after the embattled team earned a series victory over the Chicago Cubs this weekend. After riding a five-game losing streak, the Phillies' slumping offense finally came alive and hung 10 runs on Cubs pitchers in a mostly one-sided 10-4 win on Saturday.
Then Aaron Nola quieted his doubters on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball by tossing seven dominant innings of one-run ball. As a result, the Phillies are now 15-13 and trail the first place New York Mets by 4.5 games for the top spot in the NL East.
But are the Phillies back? It's going to take much more than a one-game offensive outburst for Phillies hitters to prove that last week's team-wide extra-base slump was nothing more than an aberration. And despite a pair of scoreless innings from recently scuffling right-handed relievers Orion Kerkering and Jordan Romano in Sunday's 3-1 extra-inning win, can we really say for sure that the bullpen woes are a thing of the past as well?
Popular heavy-hitting prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr. could be on Phillies' trade block this summer
The recent reports about the Phillies showing interest in St. Louis Cardinals' right-handed closer Ryan Helsley are certainly intriguing. While impact trades at this point in the season are exceptionally rare, the idea that the Phillies front office is having these types of conversations only 28 games into the season should be viewed as a major red flag. That's because acquiring top-tier MLB talent is usually a prospect-depleting endeavor. With the Phillies farm system currently a work in progress after a handful of costly trades, it's not unreasonable to ask who among the Phillies top prospects is considered off limits in trade discussions?
A recent report from ESPN's David Schoenfield claims that the Phillies front office has already made clear that two of the team's top prospects are considered untouchable in any deal. That comes as little surprise to anyone, with top pitching prospect Andrew Painter expected to make his MLB debut this summer, and slugging shortstop Aidan Miller being the likely successor to Alec Bohm, especially if the team revisits trade talks for the third baseman later this season.
But Schoenfield also provided a hint that the Phillies could try to sell high on second-tier prospects such as power-hitting outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. and right-handed starting pitcher Jean Cabrera. Other notable Phillies prospects like outfielder Justin Crawford and catcher Eduardo Tait could be available for the right price, but the current 26-man roster is starting to show its age. That's a big problem in a sport that has been trending increasingly younger in recent years.
Rincones Jr. made a name for himself among Phillies fans with an early spring training power binge that saw him launch three home runs in his first 12 at-bats.
The news that Rincones Jr. could be available in a trade comes at an interesting time following Opening Day center fielder Brandon Marsh's offensive struggles and recent bout with injuries. It remains to be seen what the wider plan is for Marsh when he's finally healthy, but Rincones Jr. has made a decent case for a MLB promotion after hitting .250 with three home runs and 11 RBIs in his first 24-game taste of Triple-A pitching.
That being said, this is also a Phillies organization that needs to find ways to get younger while also trying to stay competitive. And to do that, the front office will have to toe a line between making impact moves and weighing the long-term risks of using its farm system as collateral to make those improvements. That's why dealing from a list that includes Rincones Jr., Cabrera and Mick Abel this summer is crucial. Selling high on the B-list prospects to protect the A-listers makes plenty of long-term sense.