2023 Phillies/MLB Trade Deadline Speculation/Discussion

[Jazzhead]

I'd like to see us target Lane Thomas.

[zambonir]

He's not a free agent until 2026, that would come at a considerable price

[zambonir]

Sigh.

"upon his arrival, (Pham) would immediately become the OPS leader on a team that includes Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto."

Phillies news and rumors 7/24: Phils reportedly ‘would love to land’ Mets’ Tommy...

[Patchmk88]

My issue is exactly what you described - that he would come back down to his normal output from the last 3-4 years which would not really help the team all that much. I guess I’m hopping there are better alternatives out there for a RH OF bat.

[zambonir]

Well, I'm not sure there is any tangible reason to believe that either thing would happen - that he will continue to hit as he has all year, or that he will slump. He is currently injured, and at his age that could sink a season even if it's just nagging (he's supposed to come back). But he's already been doing it for four months so hopefully he still will for another two.

And pretty much all the available RH OF rentals probably present the same issue. Adam Duval was trash last year and pretty much just average in 2021. Cody Bellinger's issues are well-known. They are also all rentals because they are older or weren't good enough to get more than a one-year deal.

[julio]

I wouldn't get too excited about the Pham "rumors." You have Destiny Lugardo, at PhilliesNation (fan blog) speculating, and Bob Nightengale, old unreliable, with a throwaway line - no attribution to anybody.

Dombrowski and co. play their cards very close to the vest. This isn't the old Phillies front office that leaked like a sieve. The odds are that Nightengale has hear zippo from anybody in the know, and it pretty much goes without saying that PhilliesNation is in that situation.

Most likely? Something that nobody has mentioned or rumored at all. That seems to be the way DD works.

[Matt_Winkelman]

The Phillies have said they want a right handed power bat. Tommy Pham has a 140 wRC+ vs LHPs this year, he walks and he has pop. He also is a rental on a team that looks to be selling rentals. The Phillies would be idiotic to not be interested, because the fit, need, and cost all seem to align. He has been hurt for a while, but historically has always hit lefties well and has always drawn walks and gotten on base.

[VoteForKalas]

Not a huge fan of trading for Pham.

He is on his 5th team in the last 5 years. He is 35, is a mediocre defensive player and, while he seems to finally be healthy and hitting again so far this season, I'm not sold it is sustainable.

He also has some splits:
OPS of .915 at home and .755 on the road
OPS of .836 in the first half and .662 in the second half
OPS of .879 vs LHP and .794 vs RHP

If we can get him for a flyer asset, sure go for it, but, for anything of value, no thanks

[andyb]

It is Bowden so I really think his sources and instincts are all out of date, but here is his answer to a Phillies question:

8. The Phillies need another starter and another outfielder assuming Bryce Harper can play first. Would trading right-handers Noah Song and Connor Brogdon make sense for Cody Bellinger? (Read more about Song’s unique situation here.) Bellinger gives them another bat. He could play either left field or first base depending on where Harper plays. — Hank R.

Hank, you are singing my tune: I am “all-in” on Bellinger if I’m the Phillies. He is a plus defender in all three outfield spots and at first base. He has raised his season OPS to .918 (in 257 plate appearances) and is the leading candidate for NL Comeback Player of the Year. A deal like this makes so much sense. Now call Dave Dombrowski and Jed Hoyer and get it done, will you?

I'd do that in a heartbeat. Doubt the Cubs would even if the Phillies were picking up the rest of the salary. Does not solve the right-handed bat issue of course. Frankly a year plus of Lane Thomas makes more sense even if it costs us a top 10 prospect not named Crawford, Painter, Abel, or McGarry.

MLB trade deadline Q&A: Bowden on buyers, sellers, scenarios and the latest buzz

[zambonir]

I would say Pham's OPS against RHP is a plus not a minus. About the same (slightly better) as Castellanos. As opposed to, y'know, Bohm. The second half thing may be more of a red flag. But he fits the role they want and he's still a better defender than most of what the Phillies already have.

Bellinger just doesn't make much sense as a LHB. Maybe it would if the other RHBs in the line-up were producing more. Song and Brogdon not a serious package for anybody of course.

If Pham costs you Muzziotti plus Song or a guy in single A, Thomas probably costs you Rojas and two more pieces. He (Thomas) is still cheap and you'd be getting 2+ years

I think they go rental because of both the cost and the fact that they still have some moving parts to figure out next year.

[BostonRoss]

I’d be happy with Bellinger in LF rather than Cave.

[andyb]

Pham is the perfect fit. He'd play 80% of the time (100% against LHP and 50%-60% against RHP). Bryce will still DH some even in September so we'll need Pham in the lineup those days over Cave now.

I just don't want to give the Mets any prospects. This feels like a Ben Brown type price. An emerging prospect in our top 10-15 but not a really top prospect. If I were the Mets I think I would want Kerkering in that type of deal.

[zambonir]

Kerkering is definitely this year's Ben Brown

Bellinger actually is destroying LHP this year. Of course he is also on a $17.5 million deal. I don't know if that matters or not. If they trade for him, they might also want to re-sign him.

[fish]

Thomas probably costs you Rojas and two more pieces. He (Thomas) is still cheap and you'd be getting 2+ years

I thought I loved Thomas until I saw he’s been putting up those numbers with an underlying 24 walks and 109 k. That strikes me as a guy who is bound to regress.

….which, sadly, is not too different than Brandon Marsh.

The biggest help for this lineup is to hope that someone can come in and give professional, competitive at bats to help set a tone…and not the way they leave Stott buried in the lineup. I don’t fault Harper for his issues, but I think if he were having his usual season his impact would help steady the others in the top four/five that look all to often like they have no game plan but to swing.

[zambonir]

Isn't that what Schwarber and Castellanos (and to some extent Turner) were brought in to do? Even with Harper and Hoskins already here.

I really think it is still a lot about Hoskins, the line-up is just a lot shorter, with Turner's struggles and JT's lesser season exacerbating that from the right side. Hopefully Schwarber will improve when he gets off his feet and Harper's best is still to come.

[phillychuck]

And Nick needs to get back to actually not being terrible.

[mdougherty12]

Randal Grichuk from Colorado could also be a fit for the lefty-mashing OF rental.

[andyb]

Grichuk would have to come cheap. OPS away is 775 and was below 600 last season. He is above 900 OPS against LHP but that is probably closer to 800 this year away and less than that last year. Younger than Pham so the chance of regression from a good start is lower, but I don't think I'd trade Kerkering for him. Someone closer to 20 on our list (Ethan Wilson, Andrew Baker?) plus a DSL lottery pick not named Eduardo Tait.

[bkox]

Are we putting the MLB trades tht happen here or a seperate thread?

The Braves announced that they have acquired right-hander Pierce Johnson from the Rockies, sending pitching prospects Victor Vodnik and Tanner Gordon the other way.

Braves Acquire Pierce Johnson

[fish]

Isn't that what Schwarber and Castellanos (and to some extent Turner) were brought in to do?

You would hope that 5 guys making $20+ million a year could just be that good to figure it out but these guys don’t seem to be able to cary that burden.