3 Phillies who won’t be on the roster by August 1
Expect these three Philadelphia Phillies players gone before July is over.
August 1 has significance for all 30 MLB teams this year. It’s not just the flip of a calendar. It’s the 2023 date for the MLB trade deadline. For the Philadelphia Phillies, it’s their last big effort to improve the roster prior to what they’re hoping is a run to the World Series.
The Phillies roster has some holes and we can expect the front office to add some significant pieces. However, some of those additions won’t come until the final hours before the trade deadline. A player like Cristopher Sanchez might be able to stick around through most of August 1 until the Phillies finally make their starting pitching splash.
Others won’t linger as long. It’s these three Phillies we should fully expect to be off the roster in some fashion before July is through.
1) The Phillies roster won’t have Darick Hall on it by August 1
Power-hitting first baseman Darick Hall stepped up in a big way for the Phillies in 2022 during the absence of Bryce Harper. He had a chance to do the same with Rhys Hoskins out for the year. Sadly, he suffered an injury of his own.
Hall is now getting an opportunity to play for the Phillies but it is likely to be short-lived. The inevitable shift from DH to first base for Bryce Harper will make Hall completely redundant on the roster. He’s already not a perfect fit, but if Harper is able to perform well enough defensively, the Phillies might want to send him down to the minors again in favor of a more versatile defender.
The Phillies swapped Kody Clemens for Hall earlier in July, hopeful the change would give a boost to the offense. It hasn’t provided any sort of spark.
Hall will ultimately find himself in the minors because the Phillies have added to their bench prior to the trade deadline. Whether it’s a first baseman, third baseman, or just a better fit or the bench, it’s hard to see how Hall has a significant role on the Phillies. The only way is if he gets real hot, real fast.
Hall is just 8 for 46 in his first 15 games with Philadelphia this year.
2) The Phillies roster won’t have Dylan Covey on it by August 1
Buried in the back of the bullpen, we find Dylan Covey. He is the mop-up man of mop-up men. His failed start for the Phillies and lack of minor league options has turned him into nothing more than someone to come into the game when the Phillies need innings eaten and they don’t so much care about winning.
Covey is 1-2 with a 6.35 ERA in 17 innings of work for Philadelphia. By August 1, the Phillies need to find someone better for this role. It doesn’t have to be a bullpen ace. The Covey upgrade just needs to be a pitcher we can feel a little confident in. Right now, there is none in Covey.
Covery has been able to toss a few clean innings for the Phillies, but Rob Thomson has used him wisely and mostly in games the team was already punting. He has pitched in only two Phillies wins this season, one where he was awarded the victory after blowing the game. The other was a 19-4 route versus the Washington Nationals on July 1.
The long-man role in the bullpen doesn’t necessarily have to go to a far more competent reliever. However, we should all at least hope for the Phillies to find someone a bit better. Feel confident they will and it won’t take until the last hours of the trade deadline to get it done.
3) The Phillies roster won’t have Yunior Marte on it by August 1
Optional reliever Yunior Marte is what he is. What is that? The shortest way to explain: he’s a below-average reliever.
Marte has already flipped between the majors and minors this year. His triumphs in Triple-A continue to allow him an opportunity to pitch in the big leagues. He’s 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 10.2 minor league innings but far worse at 0-1 with a 5.11 ERA in 24.2 MLB innings.
The Phillies should be in search of at least one right-handed upgrade for the bullpen. Marte is one of the most obvious players to demote to make room for an improvement. His purpose for this ball club always has been depth. He should stick around on the 40-man roster. However, a spot on the 26-man roster is a little too ambitious based on his output.
Marte and Andrew Bellatti are the two pitchers the Phillies could demote in favor of a trade deadline addition or the return from the IL from another reliever. Marte might be a demotion candidate well before a trade happens. When he does go down to Lehigh Valley, he might want to get comfortable. It could be the last we see of him in 2023 as long as Dave Dombrowski does his job and gets some arms.
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