During this past offseason, the Philadelphia Phillies made various moves that added depth to the organization. On top of that, they finally made a big move in addressing one of their needs on the big league roster, adding versatile utilityman Whit Merrifield to the team. The numerous transactions that have taken place over the last month have somewhat altered the overall depth chart for the Phillies heading into the 2024 MLB season.
As a result, certain Phillies players may have a tougher time cracking the major league lineup now, whereas others may have been pushed completely out of a job altogether. Rather than waste their skills and talent on the bench or in the minors, they could potentially be used as valuable trade chips to help further bolster the Phillies’ roster.
Here, we look at six Phillies that could be better served as trade bait to help the ballclub for the 2024 season.
Rodolfo Castro
The Phillies acquired Rodolfo Castro from the Pittsburgh Pirates at the trade deadline last season in exchange for left-handed pitcher Bailey Falter. With the flexibility to play at second base, third base and shortstop, it was believed he could help offset the loss of veteran utilityman Josh Harrison, who was designated for assignment at about the same time.
However, in the minimal playing time that was given to Castro, he failed to take full advantage of it as he compiled a mediocre .100 batting average along with a .256 OPS, two runs scored, two RBI and 12 strikeouts in just 32 plate appearances across 14 games.
Already behind reserve Edmundo Sosa on the depth chart, and now with the further addition of Merrifield, Castro appears to be a redundancy for the upcoming season. Castro has shown some signs of power in the past, with 11 home runs in 71 games with the Pirates in 2022. As a result, he should attract some teams looking for a versatile infielder to fill their bench while the Phillies can recoup an asset in the process.