6 Phillies most likely to be traded away this offseason
Who might the Phillies use as trade bait this offseason to help address their needs?
As the Philadelphia Phillies begin to set their sights on the 2024 MLB season, they have some important roster holes to fill first, with some of their key players entering free agency. At the same time, they'll also want to improve their roster for next season.
One conventional way to improve the team is utilizing the trade route to help address their needs. Which players within the Phillies’ organization would most likely be traded away this offseason to help make the team better for 2024?
Here, we look at six potential candidates who could find a new home after this offseason. Not only would these moves help the Phillies, but they would give the players a fresh start with a new team as well.
Rodolfo Castro
Rodolfo Castro was acquired by the Phillies at the trade deadline this past season in exchange for left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter. The addition of Castro was supposed to give the ballclub valuable infield depth and some power off the bench after Josh Harrison was designated for assignment and ultimately released from the team.
However, he would fail to provide any impact on the ballclub down the stretch as he only managed to get into 14 games of action in which he hit .100 with two RBI and 12 strikeouts in just 30 at-bats.
Unfortunately for Castro, utility infielder Edmundo Sosa practically plays the same positions and provided much more value during his 2023 season with the Phillies. In 104 games, Sosa scored 34 runs and posted 15 doubles, 10 home runs, and 30 RBI, along with a .251 batting average.
As a result, with a suitable utility player already in place for the ballclub, Castro will no longer be needed and will most likely be dealt this offseason.
Darick Hall
The Phillies’ former 14th-round pick from the 2016 MLB Draft, Darick Hall, had some success as the ballclub’s designated hitter during the middle part of the 2022 season. In 41 games, he compiled a .250 batting average with an .804 OPS and a 122 OPS+, along with 19 runs scored, eight doubles, nine home runs, and 16 RBI.
The opportunity appeared to be there for the taking once again for Hall in 2023 when Rhys Hoskins went down with a season-ending torn ACL injury in Spring Training. As a result, Hall started at first base for the Phillies to begin the year. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn ligament in his thumb just a few games into the season and ended up missing a fair amount of time.
When he finally did make it back to the major league roster in July, he only managed to get in a few more games before the Phillies decided to have Bryce Harper permanently play first base. In doing so, it took Hall out of his playing spot and ultimately led to his demotion back to the minors.
In his brief stints with the Phillies in 2023, Hall posted a mediocre .167 batting average and a .437 OPS, with one home run, three RBI, and 18 strikeouts in just 54 at-bats in 18 games played.
With Harper recently announcing that he will stay at first base for 2024, along with the fact that Kyle Schwarber will primarily be in the DH spot as well, it appears there may no longer be a spot for Hall on the major league team. With his power bat and solid run production in the Phillies’ minor league system in the past few years, he could potentially serve as a valuable trade chip for the team instead.
Yunior Marté
The Phillies acquired reliever Yunior Marté from the San Francisco Giants last offseason for left-handed pitcher Erik Miller. The Phillies had high hopes for Marté with his blazing fastball, which averages 98 mph and tops out at 100 mph. They expected him to become part of a strong bullpen core along with José Alvarado, Seranthony Domínguez, Gregory Soto, and Craig Kimbrel, blowing hitters away with their heaters.
However, Marté would end up struggling with the Phillies for much of the 2023 season in his various stints with the ballclub. Overall, he pitched to a 5.03 ERA with a staggering 1.63 WHIP, giving up 22 earned runs, including six home runs, 17 walks, and 38 strikeouts in just 39 1/3 innings pitched. As a result, he was left off the Phillies’ playoff rosters.
His spot on the 2024 roster is highly in doubt as well
With the availability of a plethora of solid relief options currently in free agency, the Phillies would definitely rather go with someone who has proven to be consistent and effective and could help the team right away than wait and see what they have with Marté.
Therefore, look for Marté to be dangled as potential trade bait this offseason, as he could be attractive to a team that is willing to give him some time to develop further and become the effective flamethrower many thought he could be.
Jake Cave
For those who recall, Jake Cave was claimed off waivers by the Phillies from the Baltimore Orioles during the 2022-23 offseason. With his solid performance during Spring Training, in which he hit three home runs, drove in 14, and hit .440 in 17 games, Cave ended up making the Phillies’ 2023 Opening Day roster.
Unfortunately, Cave didn’t have the best start to the season, as he was eventually demoted to Triple-A Lehigh Valley in early May. However, he would turn his game around in the minors and ultimately got the call back up to the big league team following the All-Star break.
From there, he ended up sticking with the team until the end of the season despite his ongoing struggles at the major league level. Overall, Cave hit .212 with a .620 OPS with 18 runs scored, five home runs, and 21 RBI in 65 games played with the Phillies in 2023.
Given how Cave usually raked when playing in the minors, but failed to translate that success to the majors for the past few seasons, it has been quite frustrating for both Cave himself and his teams. His power potential is definitely there, but somehow he isn’t able to harness it in the big leagues.
With Johan Rojas establishing himself this past season as a viable option in the outfield, along with the return of the defensively steady Cristian Pache, there may not be enough at-bats to go around for Cave in the 2024 season. As a result, he could be used as trade bait to help the Phillies address a particular need, along with giving Cave a chance to get more playing time with a new team.
Griff McGarry
In this case, the candidate comes from the Phillies’ prospect pool in right-handed pitcher Griff McGarry. McGarry was selected by the Phillies in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft. Within a span of two years, he made a rapid ascension through their minor league system right up to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. In doing so, he is currently ranked fifth in the organization’s top MLB prospects list according to MLB Pipeline.
Armed with a 70-grade fastball that can hit triple digits and accompanied by his 55-grade curveball, slider, and changeup, he has been a strikeout machine with a total of 236 strikeouts in just over 158 innings of work in his professional baseball career.
However, with a 40-grade for control, his command is what remains his main Achilles’ heel as he works toward making the major leagues. Last season, across three minor league levels, McGarry walked 50 batters in just 60 innings of work, which is quite worrisome. But at the same time, it's that uncertainty that makes it easier for the Phillies to let him go if he becomes a critical piece in a potential trade package.
With both Andrew Painter and Mick Abel most likely considered untouchables in the organization, the Bleacher Report recently chose McGarry as the most likely player to be traded by the Phillies this offseason. McGarry will definitely be their strongest prospect trade chip if included in potential blockbuster deals to help improve the ballclub for 2024.
Nick Castellanos
This one may certainly surprise many Phillies’ fans, but star right fielder Nick Castellanos could potentially be dangled as trade bait this offseason.
The first thing that comes to mind is: how is this possible given what Castellanos accomplished for the ballclub in 2023? Not only was he an All-Star this past season, but he made big-time contributions offensively for the Phillies with 79 runs scored, 37 doubles, 29 home runs, and 106 RBI.
Also, who could forget his dominance during the Phillies’ postseason run in which he hit five home runs, scored seven runs and cashed in seven baserunners in 13 games?
Apparently, as reported by MLB.com, a source indicated that the Phillies were open to the idea of trading Castellanos due to his streakiness and his disappointing performance in the NLCS, in which he went 1-for-24 with 11 strikeouts. Moreover, he struck out almost 30 percent of the time during the regular season, with a total of 185 strikeouts that ranked him fifth in the entire league.
In addition, by cutting out his $20 million AAV salary, the Phillies could use that savings to pursue a more suitable and consistent run producer to fill their right field position. Potential candidates that would fill the role admirably include Jorge Soler and Teoscar Hernández.
But if the Phillies are getting rid of a star, this certainly goes against what Dave Dombrowski has always emphasized: that stars are what wins championships. But in this case, if the star is often hurting the team, in the end, more than helping it, perhaps trading the star for an even better star is what the Phillies intend to pursue to make them even stronger and better for 2024.
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