3 pitchers who could be traded if the Phillies fall out of playoff contention

3 Phillies who could be traded. No. 1 - RHP Craig Kimbrel

At 35-years-old, it's a wonder that Craig Kimbrel is even still an active major leaguer. After beginning his career as one of the most dominant relief pitchers the game had ever seen, he experienced one heck of a regression in 2019, 2020 and the second half of 2021. Things seemed to be trending in the wrong direction for a player once "guaranteed" to make it to the Hall of Fame one day.

After experiencing a resurgence for the Dodgers last year, Kimbrel turned that into a one-year, $10M contract with the Phillies, one that has been paying off nicely so far.

So far in 2023, Kimbrel has made 30 appearances for Philadelphia, notching 10 saves with an ERA of 4.50, a FIP of 3.95 and an ERA+ of 97. While none of these numbers necessarily jump off of the page, he is certainly doing enough to warrant a "possible sneaky trade chip" label.

With the seemingly endless list of teams that could be in the market for a high-leverage reliever at this year's trade deadline, it's easy to see how someone with Kimbrel's reputation could be a sought after target. Granted, he's not going to net a top prospect from any organization, but his name carries value and his performance on the field this year has been most encouraging.

Having someone like Kimbrel at the back end of the Phillies' bullpen will be a huge help for them, especially if he continues to strike out batters at a 14.1 K/9 rate. However, him and his expiring contract will likely be one of the first to go if the team can't make their way into contention.