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.
