1 trade candidate from every NL Central team the Phillies should consider
We're going big or going home with these trade candidates the Phillies could target in the NL Central.
After starting the offseason with their huge free agency re-signing of starting pitcher Aaron Nola, the Philadelphia Phillies have been relatively quiet in recent weeks in terms of completing major transactions. With a few holes left to fill in the roster, including the pursuit of a potential flexible outfielder and some bullpen help, the Phillies could turn instead to the trade front to address their remaining needs.
If so, what potential trade candidates could be found from the NL Central division that would help the Phillies fill those needs? Here's one prime candidate from each team that the ballclub should consider acquiring to augment their roster.
Alexis Díaz, RP, Cincinnati Reds
One of the Phillies' main priorities this offseason is to strengthen their bullpen after they lost closer Craig Kimbrel to the Orioles in free agency. What better way to patch that hole than to pursue a flamethrower who’s eight years younger and entering his prime soon, in Cincinnati Reds closer Alexis Díaz?
Díaz had a strong rookie season in 2022, in which he finished fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting, putting up strong numbers across the board. During his rookie year, Díaz compiled a stellar 7-3 record with a 1.84 ERA and 0.96 WHIP, giving up only 13 earned runs all season with 83 strikeouts in 63 2/3 innings in 59 appearances.
In 2023, Díaz followed it up with a solid All-Star season for the Reds, sporting a 9-6 winning record with a 3.07 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, with 86 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings of work. With an ERA+ close to 180 and a strikeout rate floating above 30 percent over the past two years, he has put himself in great company among the best in the league.
With the Reds looking to be headed towards another rebuilding year with a roster full of youngsters, it may be just enough for the Phillies to extract Díaz from their roster and make him one of their own for the 2024 season.
Brendan Donovan, UTIL, St. Louis Cardinals
One of the ideal trade candidates for the Phillies this offseason is Cardinals’ utilityman Brendan Donovan. The Phillies appear to be set in the outfield with Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas and Nick Castellanos for the 2024 season.
However, Matt Gelb of The Athletic recently revealed that the Phillies don’t see both Rojas and Marsh (subscription required) as everyday players who will accumulate 600 plate appearances in 2024. But at the same time, they want to give them at least the opportunity to do so if they end up thriving.
Pursuing a versatile player who can play in the outfield and potentially other positions makes the most sense for the Phillies. They can move a player like Donovan around based on the team’s needs at the time.
Donovan would fit the bill exactly, as not only can he play all of the infield and outfield positions, but he can do so effectively as he won a Gold Glove in 2022 as a utility man. On top of that, his bat is MLB-ready and has great plate discipline. Over the past two seasons, Donovan has hit .283 with a .779 OPS with 112 runs scored, 31 doubles, 16 home runs, 79 RBI, 93 walks, and 123 strikeouts in 221 games.
An unfortunate flexor tendon injury ended his 2023 season early when he had to undergo season-ending surgery. However, he should be ready to go before Spring Training. As a result, with the true makings of the next Ben Zobrist, the Phillies should act fast to pry Donovan away from the Cardinals before other teams begin their hot pursuit of the highly-coveted utilityman.
David Bednar, RP, Pittsburgh Pirates
For another dominant reliever the Phillies should pursue, there is an intriguing option in Pittsburgh: reliever David Bednar. Bednar's stock has risen tremendously over the past few seasons as he has evolved into the Pirates’ shutdown closer.
Unlike Kimbrel and Díaz, who are mainly equipped with a strong two-pitch arsenal, Bednar possesses a blazing fastball constantly in the 97 mph range, to go along with a super slow curve down around 75-80 mph and a nasty changeup that often mimicked his fastball but ranges in the low 90s. His three-pitch weaponry has paved the way to his success with the Pirates over the past three seasons.
The two-time All-Star also led the National League in saves in 2023 with 39, with a stellar 2.00 ERA and a 1.10 WHIP, surrendering just 15 earned runs with 21 walks and 80 strikeouts in 67 1/3 innings in 66 appearances. For a team that only won 76 games all of last season, Bednar played a critical role in securing victories for over half of them.
He was suggested as a trade candidate at this year’s trade deadline, as he has proven to be the real deal.
Having turned 29 recently and in his prime, it may be hard for the Pirates to make someone like Bednar available in trade talks. However, with their apparent glaring weakness in their starting rotation and with the Phillies having two highly-touted pitching prospects who could be MLB-ready in 2024 in Mick Abel and Griff McGarry, they could suddenly find themselves as ideal trade partners in helping each other fill their needs.
Ian Happ, OF/UTIL, Chicago Cubs
When it comes to an actual long-term solution for the Phillies in terms of both defense and power in the outfield, the Cubs have someone who would fit in seamlessly if the Phillies choose to go star-hunting again.
That player is none other than Ian Happ. Starting off more as a super utilityman at the beginning of his career, Happ has become a fixture in the outfield in the past couple of seasons for the Cubs. He has flourished primarily as a left fielder, where he put his defensive abilities on full display, maintaining a fielding percentage close to .990 and winning the Gold Glove Award in each of the past two seasons.
More importantly, despite a lifetime career batting average of below .250, Happ gets on base a lot and possesses extra-base power. With an on-base percentage of .343 and OPS close to .800 for his career, he provides tremendous value and impact for a team focused on run production, along with his stellar defense. Happ represents the exact outfielder mold the Phillies have been looking for the past few years.
However, with a full no-trade clause in Happ’s contract, it will be up to Happ to decide if he would even consider moving out from the only place he has called home ever since making his MLB debut seven years ago. But with the Cubs coming up short constantly in the postseason in his last three playoff appearances, he may envy seeing how close the Phillies themselves have come to reaching and winning the World Series the past two seasons.
It might be enough to convince him to make the move if it gives him the best chance at winning what has eluded him in his career. And for the Phillies, Happ would be the ideal player to move top prospects such as Rojas and Abel/McGarry for to make their lineup complete for another championship run.
Devin Williams, RP and Christian Yelich, OF, Milwaukee Brewers
Although we stated earlier that we're looking at one trade candidate from each NL Central team, we'll break the rule here because the Brewers present an enticing scenario for the Phillies.
Recently, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal has suggested that the Brewers could be heading toward a rebuilding mode (subscription required) in the coming years. If that is indeed the case, many high-profile players from their roster could be made available and be on the move. This could present a truly advantageous situation for the Phillies to capitalize on to make themselves legitimate World Series contenders for now and beyond.
By dealing with the Brewers, the Phillies can address all of their main needs in one blockbuster trade by locking in on two candidates. That would be to acquire the services of elite closer Devin Williams and former NL MVP Christian Yelich to fill their holes in the bullpen and outfield, respectively.
Williams has flourished as the Brewers’ closer ever since Josh Hader was dealt away in 2022. In fact, some may even view that he is just as good as Hader, as he has maintained an ERA below 2.00 and a WHIP below 1.01 while twirling a strikeout rate close to 39 percent since Hader’s departure. The former 2020 NL Rookie of the Year and two-time All-Star has definitely put himself on the map in recent years as one of baseball's top closers.
Yelich may not be putting up MVP numbers like he used to, but he's still a solid MLB outfielder who can still surprisingly provide above-average defense and offense for a contender. He has developed into one of the more effective leadoff hitters in the game the past couple of seasons, which would be a welcome addition to the Phillies lineup that has lacked a traditional leadoff hitter for quite some time.
In addition, he had an impressive bounce-back season in 2023 in which he hit .278 with a .370 OBP and .818 OPS, along with 106 runs scored, 34 doubles, 19 home runs, 76 RBI, and 28 stolen bases. He does have a no-trade clause, but seeing the direction in which the Brewers are headed recently, he should jump at the opportunity to be a part of a contender again.
If the Phillies want to pursue the go-big or go-home mentality by going all-in in their pursuit of their first World Series championship since 2008, making the right mega deal with the Brewers could finally make that dream a reality.
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