Re-grading the Philadelphia Phillies’ 2023 trade deadline
Looking back at the trade deadline, did the Phillies do enough to give themselves the best chance to succeed in the playoffs?
With the Philadelphia Phillies falling just short of the World Series this year, one wonders what area they could possibly have done better in that may have presented them with a different fate? One of the key events of the season was obviously the trade deadline, as it presented the ballclub with the opportunity to bolster their roster for the postseason run.
Looking back now at what the Phillies accomplished at the deadline, did they do enough to put themselves in a position to be strong contenders? Here, we re-graded their moves from the trade deadline to determine how much of an impact it had overall for the ballclub and their success in the playoffs.
The Phillies acquired infielder Rodolfo Castro from the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Bailey Falter
At the time, this was more an under-the-radar move by the Phillies to bolster their bench as veteran Josh Harrison was designated for assignment on the very same day. Both Castro and Harrison could play multiple positions in the infield. However, the main difference between the two is that Castro is 15 years younger than Harrison, along with being able to hit from both sides of the plate with some added pop in his bat.
Unfortunately, Castro’s impact with the Phillies ended up being negligible, as he only saw 14 games of action, including six starts. He hit a measly .100 with a .256 OPS, with two runs scored and two RBI and would end up being left out of postseason action.
Falter began the season with the Phillies as part of their starting rotation. However, he struggled in the role and was eventually sent back down to the minors in mid-May. He found his way back to the majors following the trade to the Pirates, but his struggles at the major league level continued as he finished his MLB year with a combined 2-9 record with a 5.36 ERA, 1.41 WHIP with 60 strikeouts in 80 2/3 innings.
Castro never really helped the Phillies in their stretch run, while Falter literally “faltered” wherever he played, so one could call it a draw on the trade. However, the Phillies blew the chance to acquire an impact bench bat that could have made a difference when their offense suddenly went cold at the worst possible time against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the NLCS.
So for the trade, the Phillies deserve a D.
The Phillies acquired pitcher Michael Lorenzen from the Detroit Tigers for infield prospect Hao-Yu Lee
The Phillies made a bigger splash with this trade as they believed that adding solid depth to their starting pitching heading into the stretch run and playoffs would give them the upper hand when it came down to matchups later on. After all, Lorenzen was having a strong season with the Tigers that eventually led to him being named a first-time All-Star in his career.
He actually started off his tenure with the Phillies in impressive fashion. In just his second start, he tossed a no-hitter against the Washington Nationals on Aug. 9. Unfortunately, that turned out to be his only highlight with the ballclub, as he struggled mightily down the stretch and ended up losing his role as a starter in the process. Because of that, Lorenzen would only make two appearances for the Phillies during the postseason, with both times being just mop-up duty.
Lee was actually ranked fifth in the Phillies’ MLB top prospects list prior to the trade despite only playing in High-A at the time. That spoke volumes of the massive potential that he possessed. Lee was hindered by an injury following the trade that saw him see limited action with the Tigers’ minor league High-A affiliate for the rest of the 2023 season. However, he has since started to hit his stride once again in the Arizona Fall League and can only grow from there.
So the Phillies took a chance by sacrificing one of their top prospects for a potential game-changer for their rotation, but it failed miserably. With Lorenzen not likely to be re-signed by the Phillies this offseason as he heads into free agency, losing a top prospect for almost zero impact on their playoff run is a big loss for the ballclub.
So for this trade, the Phillies deserve an F.
Overall, their playoff failure wasn’t just completely the result of an underwhelming trade deadline, but their missed opportunity to upgrade the ballclub may have unfortunately played some role in their downfall.
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