It's generally perceived the Phillies had a good, if not great, trade deadline this year, bringing in Michael Lorenzen and Rodolfo Castro. Along these lines, CBS Sports awarded them a B grade.
The question is, even as buyers, was there anyone who remained in Philadelphia that should have been moved? We consider five players who arguably should have been traded, including one which admittedly would have required a lot of convincing for the majority.
NB - All statistics up to and including August 9.
Darick Hall
In Darick Hall, the Phillies have one of their more frustrating players. He has ability, but is either set to break out, or end up as one of those classic underachievers unable to take advantage of his opportunity.
It probably should be pointed out Hall's talent is -- for lack of a better description -- compartmentalized. More specifically, what he mostly offers is power and being limited to only playing first base on defense.
Like most prospects at the time, the 28-year-old's path to the Majors was impacted by Covid-19. This resulted in him not playing at all in 2020, due to the cancellation of the Minor League season.
Despite this setback, Hall finally got to prove himself at the Major League level last year and impressed. Used mostly as a DH, he hit nine homers and 16 RBI, contributing towards a .250/.282/.522 slash line and .804 OPS.
Unfortunately for the left-handed bat he's taken a step back in 2023, although in fairness it hasn't all been his fault. Shortly after making the opening day roster, he suffered a torn ligament in his right thumb.
The injury required surgery, resulting in Hall missing three months of the Major League season. Since his return, he's been unable to replicate his success from last season.
The Hereford, Arizona native has played 18 times this year for the Phillies. He has just one home run, three RBI, a .167/.196/.241/ slash line and .437 OPS.
It should be noted Hall has still performed well in Triple-A, where he was recently returned to, due to his lack of success in the Majors. In 36 games he has five homers, 22 RBI, a .294/.381/.463 slash line and .845 OPS.
Again, the 2016 14th round draft pick has talent, but will this ever translate to consistent success in the Majors? We're at a point where a change of scenery is probably best, to help his chances of fulfilling his potential.