Regrading the Phillies' 2024 trade deadline moves
How did the Phillies' moves at the 2024 trade deadline turn out?
With the Philadelphia Phillies' 2024 season coming to an abrupt end with their early playoff exit, many will be taking a look back at what exactly went wrong with the team that led to their disappointing finish.
One of the key areas that is under the microscope is their work at the trade deadline. With the opportunity to massively upgrade the ballclub in preparation for the postseason, did the Phillies do enough to make themselves legitimate contenders?
Let’s take a look back at the deadline moves made by the Phillies front office and regrade them based on the performances and outcomes that they got from their key acquisitions.
Regrading the Phillies 2024 trade deadline moves
Carlos Estévez
There’s no doubt that the biggest name the Phillies added at the trade deadline was Carlos Estévez. With José Alvarado struggling in the ninth-inning role, they needed a proven closer to help stabilize the back end of the bullpen heading into the stretch run. That was when they brought in the former All-Star closer from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for two promising pitching prospects in George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri.
The cost seemed a little steep, given that both Klassen and Aldegheri were perhaps the Phillies’ fastest-rising prospects. However, for someone who has shown great success in the role for the past two years, Estévez was believed to be worth every little penny. Prior to the deadline, Estévez was on a blazing 18-game scoreless streak during which he gave up zero runs on only three hits with two walks and 15 strikeouts over 18 innings.
After joining the Phillies, Estévez uncharacteristically struggled in a couple of early outings. But once he settled in nicely, he performed close to how he did with the Angels. In 20 relief appearances with Philadelphia, he went 3-2 while going 6-for-8 in save opportunities, along with a 2.57 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, giving up just six earned runs with seven walks and 18 strikeouts in 21 innings.
He was also solid for the Phillies in the playoffs, posting a 3.38 ERA and 1.13 WHIP, yielding just one earned run with one walk and four strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings of work over three games. Unfortunately, Estévez made one key mistake, which led to Francisco Lindor’s grand slam in Game 4 of the NLDS that ultimately ended their season.
As for the pitching prospects that went the other way, Klassen struggled a bit when he was promoted to Double-A by Los Angeles, posting a 5.65 ERA and 1.61 WHIP in seven starts to finish off his 2024 season. Aldegheri made his MLB debut with the Angels, but posted an underwhelming 1-2 record with a 4.85 ERA and 1.92 WHIP over his three big league starts.
In comparison, Estévez, for the most part, performed like the elite closer that was expected of him. However, the fact that he came up small in the biggest game of the season left a sour taste in the mouths of many of the Phillies faithful. As a result, the Estévez trade deserves a grade of B+.
Final Grade: B+
Tanner Banks
In an effort to bolster the bullpen heading into the stretch run, the Phillies got rid of two of their own middling relievers, Gregory Soto and Seranthony Domínguez, at the trade deadline. With the loss of a lefty in Soto from their relief corps, Philadelphia quickly replenished that depth by acquiring left-handed pitcher Tanner Banks from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for minor league infield prospect William Bergolla.
With the White Sox in 2024, Banks compiled a 4.13 ERA and 1.29 WHIP with 55 strikeouts in 48 innings over 41 appearances. After joining the Phillies, he maintained those numbers with a 3.70 ERA and 1.32 WHIP, with 23 strikeouts in 24 innings over 22 games. However, Banks struggled for much of the final month of the season when he posted a dismal 5.06 ERA and 1.78 WHIP while yielding runs in five of his 10 outings.
That inconsistency led to his minimal usage during the 2024 postseason, as he only pitched in one playoff game. In fact, Banks was deployed in mop-up duty as he appeared in Game 1 of the NLDS in the ninth inning when the Phillies were down 5-1 to the Mets. He yielded one run on two hits in his one inning of work.
As for Bergolla, he continued to show off his speed and hitting with the White Sox’ High-A affiliate Winston-Salem as he batted a solid .316 with a .755 OPS with nine runs scored, two triples, 11 RBI and nine stolen bases in 22 games to finish off his 2024 minor league campaign.
With Banks’ numbers eerie similar to what Soto had put up for the Phillies this season but with just slightly better control, it's a debate whether or not the lefty replacement was indeed an upgrade over what Philadelphia actually had.
But the fact that Banks regressed considerably down the stretch, as well as being a non-factor in the postseason, severely decreased his overall value with the club in the end. Therefore, his acquisition deserves a C for his good effort, but without the expected dominant outcome.
Final Grade: C
Austin Hays
Perhaps the most disappointing of the three key acquisitions at the trade deadline by the Phillies, Austin Hays didn’t turn out to be the missing piece of their outfield puzzle. The Phillies landed Hays in a trade with the Baltimore Orioles that sent Domínguez and Cristian Pache the other way.
In getting Hays, Philadelphia had passed over potential difference-makers like Brent Rooker, Luis Robert Jr., and even Jorge Soler. The Phillies believed that by giving Hays more playing time, he would revert to his All-Star form seen just last season. Added to the fact that he was one of the stronger defenders on the market at the time, it should have given the team a much-needed boost both offensively and defensively.
However, despite showing some promise for a few games, his tenure with the Phillies was mainly plagued by injuries. A hamstring injury sidelined him for almost two weeks in August, followed by a kidney infection that kept him out of the lineup for the bulk of September. In the end, Hays managed to get into only 22 games of action, posting a .256 average and .672 OPS with eight runs scored, five doubles, two home runs and six RBI. More alarming was the fact that he struck out 19 times in 78 at-bats without registering a single walk, demonstrating his aggressive plate discipline.
As such, the Phillies weren’t confident enough to put him in the everyday lineup during their postseason run. Hays only saw action in two games, including one start, during the NLDS. He struck out three times in his four at-bats.
For the pieces that the Phillies gave up, the loss of Pache didn’t hurt as much as he was subsequently designated for assignment and put on waivers by the Orioles just a few days after his acquisition. However, Domínguez played a more significant role for Baltimore down the stretch. He ultimately took over the closing duties from Craig Kimbrel and helped the Orioles lock down a playoff spot in the end.
Overall, the Phillies had hoped that Hays would have resolved their outfield situation for this year and beyond, along with providing some clutch hitting and power with his bat to boost their offensive lineup. However, when the Phillies needed him the most down the stretch, he was nowhere to be found.
The Phillies are now likely to cut ties with the 29-year-old outfielder, according to MLB insider Robert Murray, and search for an alternative solution this offseason. As a result, the Hays trade has turned out to be a complete flop, giving it a dismal D grade.
Final Grade: D
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