6 Phillies players who belong on the trade block right now

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.

Simón Muzziotti

Simón Muzziotti has been one of the Phillies' top prospects over the past few years, ranked in the top 10 in the organization in three of the last four seasons, according to MLB Pipeline. Despite joining the organization in 2016, Muzziotti has yet to make his mark at the major league level.

In his brief stint with the Phillies in 2022, he had only one hit and two strikeouts in nine plate appearances. Even when the Phillies needed some help in the outfield in 2023, they leaned instead on the underproducing Cristian Pache and Jake Cave. They even gave rookie Johan Rojas the opportunity rather than considering Muzziotti at any point in time.

With the Phillies' recent waiver claim of depth pitcher Max Castillo, Muzziotti was surprisingly designated for assignment and removed from the 40-man roster, even when there appeared to be a need for outfield depth with starter Brandon Marsh injured. With Merrifield in the fold, Muzziotti has essentially been pushed out of the picture. At age 25 heading into 2024, it appears Muzziotti has yet to earn the Phillies’ trust, limiting his opportunities.

Rather than waste a top 10 talent in the minors for however many more years, this may be the right time to capitalize on his prospect ranking to use him as solid trade bait to address further needs for the club.

Andrew Bellatti

After spending many years of his professional baseball career roaming the minor leagues, Andrew Bellatti finally had his MLB breakout season with the Phillies in 2022 at the age of 30.

As one of the more reliable arms in the bullpen, Bellatti amassed a 4-4 record, two saves, nine holds, a solid 3.31 ERA, and a whopping 78 strikeouts in just 54 1/3 innings over 59 appearances. He even took his game to another level in the playoffs when he posted a stellar 1.29 ERA and 0.43 WHIP with nine strikeouts in eight games of postseason action.

However, Bellatti failed to replicate his success in 2023 when he stumbled right out of the gate in April. In the end, he spent multiple stints both in the minor and majors and compiled 5.11 ERA and 1.50 WHIP in 27 games overall with the Phillies. He did perform more admirably during his time in the minors with a 2.25 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 28 innings.

That minor league performance apparently didn’t impress the Phillies enough, as he was designated for assignment and outrighted to the minors this offseason in favor of Michael Rucker, who was acquired from the Chicago Cubs. In addition to Rucker, the Phillies have added a boatload of depth arms to go with the likes of Luis Ortiz, Nick Nelson, Yunior Marté, and Connor Brogdon already in the system.

It appears Bellatti's days remaining in the organization may be numbered, and perhaps a change of scenery would work well for both parties in the long run.

Jake Cave

Jake Cave has been one of those major leaguers who has shown explosive power potential and success in the minor leagues but somehow hasn't been able to translate that success to the big league level.

After spending five seasons with the Minnesota Twins to begin his MLB career, Cave was claimed by the Phillies off waivers during the 2022-23 offseason and earned a spot on the team’s Opening Day roster with an impressive spring training. However, he couldn’t carry his dominance into the regular season, as he posted a .212 batting average and a .620 OPS with just five home runs, 21 RBI and 55 strikeouts in just 65 games as a part-time player.

With Bryce Harper to be permanently deployed at first base by the Phillies in 2024 and Alec Bohm being his primary backup, it essentially leaves Cave mainly with spot duty in the outfield. However, with Merrifield being the better offensive option and Pache being the better defensive option available, Cave's playing time for the upcoming season will no doubt be severely limited.

With the need for Cave becoming negligible for the Phillies, they should instead look to put him on the trade block to give him the opportunity to land a starting gig or a more meaningful bench role with another team while receiving a useful future asset in return.

Griff McGarry

For most of the aforementioned players above, their value could limit the quality of the assets the Phillies would receive in return. They could get the team solid depth pieces, but in order to get a player of significance that could potentially be a difference maker, you need to give up quality to get quality.

To add the necessary piece(s) to a strong contending team like the Phillies, they most likely need to give up a top, prime prospect to get the job done. First and foremost, both top prospects Andrew Painter and Mick Abel should be untouchable, as they will likely form the one-two punch in the Phillies’ starting rotation in the not-so-distant future. You don’t trade away future success like that.

Instead, the Phillies should offer up the next best thing to that dominant duo in top pitching prospect Griff McGarry. McGarry was drafted by the ballclub in the fifth round back in the 2021 MLB Draft. Since then, he has progressed well within the Phillies’ minor league system, having made it all the way to Triple-A in each of the last two seasons.

For the most part, McGarry has been a strikeout machine, as in his three minor league seasons to date, he has recorded a staggering 254 punchouts in just 171 2/3 innings. However, his control and command have been a little less consistent, with a 1.30 WHIP and a walk-to-strikeout ratio close to just 1:2. In particular, he has struggled mightily thus far in his brief stints in Triple-A, with an unfathomable 20.43 ERA and 3.08 WHIP, giving up 28 earned runs and 23 walks in just 12 1/3 innings.

If McGarry eventually stabilizes his control and command, his potential could be right up there, along with the likes of Painter and Abel. But because his inconsistency had also been a problem during his college years, it may be something that he may or may not eventually work out.

With the possibility of becoming a top front-end starter, along with the possibility of not being able to reach his full potential at the same time, he represents the best possible high-risk, high-reward trade chip the Phillies could use to acquire whatever they still need to address for their lineup. If a team is willing to gamble on his unpredictable ceiling, the Phillies should be able to get back that significant piece of the puzzle they need to put them over the top this season.