1 trade candidate from every AL Central team the Phillies should consider
With the Phillies still in the midst of an uncharacteristically quiet offseason, could the team upgrade the roster via the trade market instead of jumping into the free agent pool? While the Phillies are currently in a competitive window to contend for championships, other franchises are headed into rebuild mode and have players to deal and payroll to shed.
Today we will look at who might be available from teams in the American League Central. Some of these players are rumored to be on the trading block, while others would fit a need for a team like the Phillies looking to improve at certain positions on the diamond.
Let's get to know a few players that could entice the Phillies to make a move this offseason.
Emmanuel Clase, RP, Cleveland Guardians
Who's going to get the ball in the ninth inning for the Phillies in 2024? That's an important question following the departure of Craig Kimbrel to the Baltimore Orioles earlier this offseason. The failure of the Phillies bullpen late in games this past October highlights a need for a trustworthy closer capable of getting big outs in big spots.
Josh Hader is currently the top closer on the free agent market, but a recent report from USA Today's Bob Nightengale indicates that the Philadelphia Phillies have no interest in meeting Hader's desire to exceed the $102 million deal the New York Mets handed to Edwin Díaz last offseason.
That brings us to Emmanuel Clase, the two-time All-Star closer for the Cleveland Guardians. Various reports this offseason have pointed to a willingness from the Guardians to trade Clase and Shane Bieber and engage in an active rebuild. Should the Phillies make a phone call?
The 25-year-old Clase is still signed through 2026, so any team trading for his services will get at least two years plus two club options. Obviously, Cleveland will be asking for a lot in any potential deal.
Clase saved 44 games in 2023 while posting a 3-9 record with a 3.22 ERA in 72 2/3 innings pitched. The 3.22 ERA is a tad alarming, as he previously had earned run averages of 1.36 (2022) and 1.29 (2021). Still young and under team control for a while, should the Phillies make an offer?
Max Kepler, OF, Minnesota Twins
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski was clear during the MLB Winter Meetings that the Philadelphia Phillies are not prepared to hand Johan Rojas an everyday role in 2024 unless he makes improvements with his bat. Those comments opened up the question of whether the Phillies are looking to sign or trade for a right-handed hitting outfielder this offseason.
Another problem the Phillies will need to address this offseason is finding a complimentary player to platoon with Brandon Marsh. The left handed hitting Marsh has struggled at times in his major league career against southpaws, and that was one of the flaws that got exposed when the Phillies couldn't close out the Diamondbacks during the NLCS in October.
Max Kepler is another player whose name has been mentioned in trade rumors this offseason. Like the Guardians, the Minnesota Twins are a team that possibly views a rebuild as part of its near future plans. The 30-year-old German-born Kepler could be an option for a Phillies team looking for a short-term solution in left field and for the aforementioned platoon with Marsh.
Primarily a right fielder in recent seasons, Kepler has previously appeared in 55 games (2018) and 60 games (2019) in center field for the Twins, and is probably a stretch for a platoon with Marsh based on that fact. But the Phillies could use an everyday corner outfielder, and Kepler might not cost a lot in a deal as he is in his final season of a six year contract in 2024.
Health has also been an issue for Kepler in recent years, and 2023 was the first time he's appeared in more than 130 games in a season since 2019. Last season also saw Kepler bat .260 with 24 home runs and 66 RBI, so the production is there when he's healthy. Could Kepler be the answer to the Phillies outfield needs?
Dylan Cease, SP, Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are currently a complete mess. Last year was a disappointing setback for a team that thought it had the pieces to be a contender in a weak AL Central division in 2023. Injuries and poor performances from players like Tim Anderson doomed the club, and by the Aug. 1 trade deadline, a full-on fire sale ensued. Could the Phillies land their best pitcher this offseason?
The Phillies, like a lot of contending teams, have waited out the market for free agents so far this offseason. Now that Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are off the board, teams are sure to pounce on the top remaining free agent starters still available on the market. For those looking to make a bigger splash than signing the likes of Marcus Stroman, Dylan Cease is reported to be available to a team willing to give up a big haul of prospects to land the White Sox ace.
The 27-year-old Cease had a season well below expectations in 2023. The right-hander compiled a record of 7-9 in addition to a 4.58 ERA over 33 starts in 177 innings pitched. Cease was more dominant in 2022, when he recorded a record of 14 wins and 8 losses along with a 2.20 ERA and a career-high 227 strikeouts.
If the Phillies want to add another front-line starter like Dylan Cease, it's another move that will cost them a haul of prospects. Cease will be a free agent after the 2025 season, and will provide at least two years of team control. Bob Nightengale recently named the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles as potential landing spots.
Will Vest, RP, Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a team that appears to be stocking up on free agents this winter, so it's doubtful that they are looking to trade from their current roster. But Dave Dombrowski has a history as a former executive with Detroit, and a certain deal the Phillies made this past season with the Tigers for Michael Lorenzen worked out pretty well.
So who on the Tigers' roster could be of interest to the Phillies this offseason? How about some versatile bullpen help? How about a late bloomer by the name of Will Vest?
Vest has emerged as a kind of jack-of-all-trades relief pitcher for the Tigers over the last two seasons. Think of a guy who fills a similar role to that of Matt Strahm, but is right-handed. For a team like the Phillies that could use a few more reliable arms for the bullpen in 2024, would a guy like Vest make sense in a trade?
Vest was asked to fill a variety of roles for Detroit last season and posted season totals of 2-1 with a 2.18 ERA in 48 games (four starts) to go along with two saves. That's a lot of versatility right there. With the Tigers expected to make a run this year, it's probably a stretch to think they might deal from a position of strength, but why not give them a call?
With a few years of control left for the pre-arbitration eligible Vest, any move would require a mid-level prospect in return.
Nelson Velázquez, OF, Kansas City Royals
Another team that has curiously been making moves this offseason is the Kansas City Royals. Years removed from their last period of contention and trying to create a new window during the Bobby Witt Jr. era, the Royals might actually be looking to add some pieces for 2024. But who on their current roster would be an interesting fit for the Phillies in a trade?
The Phillies have that much-needed role of a right-handed bat who can play corner outfield and fill in at center field, seemingly wide open. Do the Royals have a guy like that?
How about Nelson Velázquez? The 24-year-old has some serious pop from the right side of the plate and had a decent year in a 2023 split between Kansas City and the Chicago Cubs. In only 50 games last season, Velázquez mashed 17 home runs in just 179 plate appearances. This is clearly a guy who has serious over-the-fence pop in his swing.
While Velázquez only saw action in three games in center field in 2023, he appeared in 32 games at the position during his first stint with the Cubs in 2022. It's not clear if the Royals would be interested in dealing a young player with some decent carrying tools who is also under team control until 2029, but why not give them a call?
The free agent market still has a few options available, so this is another trade that is very unlikely.
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