One of the many recent Philadelphia Phillies minor league promotions saw one of their top prospects earn a well-deserved promotion to Triple-A following his fine showing so far in 2024. That player was Phillies No. 12 prospect Carlos De La Cruz.
De La Cruz put together the best minor league season of his career last year when he registered personal bests in runs scored (80), doubles (25), home runs (24) and RBI (67) in 129 games with the Phillies’ Double-A affiliate Reading Fightin Phils. This season, he continued his success at the plate with Reading, compiling a .262 average and .768 OPS, with 36 runs scored, 13 doubles, eight home runs, 35 RBI and five stolen bases in 65 games.
On top of that, the first baseman-turned-outfielder has been almost flawless in terms of his defense. De La Cruz has committed only one error all season while showing his flexibility by seeing action in all three outfield positions.
Phillies prospect Carlos De La Cruz's Triple-A promotion might be short-lived as trade deadline looms
Now he's patrolling the outfield for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, and his dream of reaching the big leagues is one step closer. He has already played six games in Triple-A, batting .269/.259/.385. He hasn't found the home run power with the IronPigs just yet, but three of his seven hits are doubles.
Whether or not De La Cruz will be able to fulfill his major league dream in a Phillies uniform is another story. That's because his performance this season hasn’t just caught the eyes of the Phillies brass.
The 24-year-old has been constantly scouted by multiple teams over the past few months, according to CBS Philadelphia's Jeff Kerr. As a result of De La Cruz garnering loads of interest from across the league, he could very well be one of the key prospects to be on the move as the trade deadline draws near.
That possibility is also high from a Phillies’ standpoint. Other promising outfield studs, like Justin Crawford and perhaps Gabriel Rincones Jr., might be off-limits for opposing teams when it comes to deadline deals.
That would leave De La Cruz as the top Phillies outfield prospect available and tradeable to teams looking for outfield potential for future rosters. Therefore, his stay with the IronPigs and the Phillies organization could end abruptly in the coming weeks as Philadelphia actively pursues its trade deadline needs for the stretch run.