The Philadelphia Phillies are a fascinating team to watch as the trade deadline approaches, not to see if they choose to do something, but what they choose to do. There is debate among fans as to whether the club's biggest need is a reliable starting pitcher, late-inning bullpen arm, or quality right-handed bat. The Phils only have enough prospect capital for one major addition, and Bleacher Report’s recent proposal has them curiously using that bullet on unparalleled closer Mason Miller.
Miller’s status as the best closer in baseball is beyond question, despite the Phillies’ Johan Duran being elite in his own right. Miller has posted a fantastic 2.42 ERA across 200 ⅔ career innings, racking up 75 saves and striking out an insane 331 batters. The 27-year-old has been on another planet this season, working to a minuscule 0.89 mark with 75 punchouts over 40 ⅔ frames.
The Pennsylvanian was already part of one deadline blockbuster when the Athletics shipped him to the San Diego Padres last summer for a massive package that included the second-ranked prospect in baseball, Leo De Vries. Unfortunately for the Friars, they haven’t done much even with Miller in the fold, scuffling to a 48-50 record this season that places them 3.5 games out of a Wild Card spot.
That poor record has led to speculation that Padres’ general manager A..J. Preller could look to recoup some of his investment by flipping Miller and his three-and-a-half remaining years of team control to a contender at this year’s deadline. To wit, Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer’s recent article on possible Miller packages had the Phillies giving up two of their top-10 prospects in Gage Wood and Francisco Renteria to obtain the fireballer.
There’s no doubt that Miller would be a fantastic addition to the Phillies. Outside of Duran, the club’s bullpen has looked pretty shaky as free agent addition Brad Keller is most likely out for the season and previously reliable arms like José Alvarado and Tanner Banks have been completely unusable. Adding Miller to that mix would give interim manager Don Mattingly perhaps the most devastating one-two punch the sport has ever seen at the end of games.
Mason Miller would be a massive upgrade for the Phillies, but not the one they need
However, elite relievers are a luxury; hardly one the Phillies can afford. With former top prospects Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford having struggled in their first crack at the majors, and current top prospect Aidan Miller sidelined indefinitely with a back injury, the three most desirable youngsters in the Phillies’ system have all significantly diminished their trade value over the past few months.
That leaves president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski with very few assets to dangle in hopes of addressing multiple gaping holes on the major league roster. Dombrowski must be judicious in using his scant resources, and only surrender his highest value piece, Gage Wood, for a difference-maker at the biggest position of need. Given the Phillies’ dreadful .699 collective OPS, a capable bat needs to be the highest priority.
The Phillies only have one Gage Wood to trade, and he can’t be spent cavalierly on a somewhat redundant late-inning arm. Interestingly enough, if Wood survives the deadline as a member of the Phillies’ organization, he could help address the bullpen concerns himself. The 22-year-old has breezed through the minor leagues so far and is barreling towards the majors.
Unfortunately, he’s likely to run afoul of innings restrictions, and the team has been limiting him to around four frames per outing. There’s no chance he’ll make an impact in the big league rotation this year, but perhaps one-inning stints out of the bullpen could help tamp down his workload while providing a jolt to the beleaguered Phillies’ relief corps.
Phillies fans are completely sane to want to see Mason Miller don red pinstripes, but the trade deadline isn’t about checking every box on a wishlist. It's about identifying the most significant shortcomings and addressing them in an appropriate manner. Gutting an already-barren farm system for a second top-tier reliever would make headlines, but wouldn’t be what’s best for the franchise.
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