Phillies Plan to Make Moves at Trade Deadline

The Philadelphia Phillies came into the season with low expectations because the team is undergoing a rebuilding process, which means they won’t be in contention anytime soon. At the start of the season, the Phillies played hard and out-performed expectations, but the team finally came down to earth and is trying to get back to playing .500 ball. Due to their rebuilding, the Phillies have one of the worst online MLB sports betting odds, but the team is still competitive and capable of big wins every now and then.

With the trade deadline approaching, the Phillies can try to get rid of the few remaining bad contracts that they have, and also get some young talent that can be important to the team’s success in the future. By trading some players away, the Phillies will also have to figure out which young players to call up to the majors, so they can get some experience heading into the offseason.

Currently, Philadelphia’s most valuable trading chip is Jeremy Hellickson, who has been plagued with trade rumors since the team signed him. The veteran pitcher has been one of the most consistent players on the team this season, and has a 3.84 ERA in 20 starts.

With teams looking for consistent pitching as they make their playoff push, Hellickson seems like the perfect candidate to be wearing a new uniform before the trade deadline.

According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, reports that sources close to the Phillies told him the team wasn’t considering trading the right hander despite interest from other teams.

However, the Boston Globe reported that several teams, including the Toronto Blue Jays, Kansas City Royals, Baltimore Orioles, and Miami Marlins are all interested in Hellickson and believe they can pry him away from Philadelphia with the right package of players.

If the Phillies get a significant offer for Hellickson, the general consensus is that the team will trade the 29-year-old. If they do, Triple-A player Jake Thompson is one of the leading candidates to get the call to the majors to replace Hellickson.

Thompson, who has a 7-5 record and a 2.58 ERA, was a surprise omission from the Triple-A All-Star game. If the Phillies don’t call Thompson up, another player that might get called up is Jorge Alfaro, the catcher the team received in the trade for Cole Hamels. 

If the Phillies are to call Alfaro up, they will have to trade Carlos Ruiz, who many believe will be a good fit for the Cleveland Indians, due to his defensive value. Since the Indians have lost starting catcher Yan Gomes for the next two months, acquiring a player like Ruiz, seems like a no-brainer for the team.

According to reports, Alfaro has been playing very well in the minors and seems to have outgrown Triple-A, so it makes sense that the Phillies try to add him to their MLB roster to give him some experience against top competition and try to figure out where he fits in the team’s future plans.

While Philadelphia won’t be getting any big names at the trade deadline, they will be trying to get young pieces that can help them in the future and get them back in contention in the NL East.