Phillies trade candidate No. 3: Seranthony Dominguez
The final candidate to be traded is Seranthony Dominguez. This would be a tough pill to swallow because of Dominguez’s long trek to health in the big leagues. Dominguez worked through an elbow injury that kept him out of pitching from the middle of the 2019 season up until last year. Dominguez came back last season and contributed greatly to the Phillies bullpen last October.
Dominguez’s mention on a list like this may surprise certain people. His contract is under club control until 2024 with a 2025 club option. Money is not an issue with his deal either. Making $2.5 million in salary, teams would love to be able to trade for a cheaper reliever with a big arm. The Dominican Republic native is a valuable piece to have in the bullpen with his electrifying combination of his fastball and slider as well as his embrace for big moments.
So far this season, Dominguez is 1-2 with a 3.86 ERA, 23 strikeouts, and nine walks in 21 innings pitched in 25 appearances.
This one seems sort of unlikely. But I am thinking that when selling at the deadline the team needs to give something of value. Out of the three Phillies, Dominguez arguably has the most of the group. He is still in the general physical prime as he’s 28 years old, has recent playoff experience, throws hard, and is under contract past this season. Since he does have so many appealing attributes, he may be harder for the Phillies to trade. Dave Dombrowski, understandably so, will have a high price for the reliever.
It’s early June and it is time to start accepting the reality of this baseball team. That reality being is that they may have to become sellers at the deadline. One year after being buyers of a moderate degree, making a March Madness Cinderella-esque run to the World Series, re-energizing the discourse around baseball in Philadelphia, and signing a top-tier shortstop this is where the team stands. Accepting that reality allows one to make peace with seemingly punting on the rest of the season.