Phillies: 4 bold predictions for the MLB trade deadline

4. The Phillies give up two top prospects in their organization in Mick Abel and Griff McGarry in their trade deadline deals

Good news for the Phillies is that they make significant additions to their roster in preparation for the playoff run. Bad news is that they end up overpaying a bit and lose two of their top prospects in Mick Abel and Griff McGarry to complete their trade transactions, as they had to give value to get value in return. Abel is currently ranked number two on the Phillies’ MLB Top Prospects list and McGarry comes in just slightly behind at number four.

Abel was a first round draft pick by the Phillies back in the 2020 MLB Draft and has been the Phillies second-ranked prospect in their organization for the past three years, showing the enormous potential that they expect from him. Believed to be just a slightly lower-tiered version of Andrew Painter, he was projected to form a one-two punch with Painter for the Phillies in the near future for the heart of their rotation. But with Painter potentially undergoing Tommy John surgery soon, Abel became the prime candidate in which teams were asking for as the return asset in trade talks, despite being previously categorized as untouchable by us.

In addition, McGarry was drafted in the fifth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of the University of Virginia. Known for his tremendous strikeout ability, McGarry has compiled a 3.41 ERA, 1.20 WHIP with a whopping 236 strikeouts in just 158.1 innings pitched in three minor league seasons in the organization. The Phillies will definitely miss his firepower, but since they are currently in win-now mode, he becomes the other valuable asset sacrificed at the trade deadline.