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.