With the Major League Baseball set to resume tomorrow, the
focus around the league will shift from this week’s All Star festivities in San
Diego to the non-waiver trade deadline on August 1. For the Phillies, a team in
transition, it’s a time in which they can move their rebuilding effort along.
There aren’t as many veterans like Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley, or Jonathan
Papelbon to move on from. There also isn’t a player on the roster like Ken
Giles or Cole Hamels that figures to net a massive return. However, there are plenty of stopgaps that
the Phillies brought in to hold things over in 2016 as more of the team’s top
prospects got closer to the majors. The rest of July is very important for
those players whom the Phillies could look to move. Here’s a look at what the
Phillies might be selling.
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| Yong Kim/Philly.com Hellickson is probably the most likely Phillie to be traded within the next two weeks prior to the deadline. |
Jeremy Hellickson: Hellickson is the most obvious trade candidate
on the Phillies. Last winter, the Phillies traded for Hellickson and Charlie
Morton. Both were expected to be stabilizers in the starting rotation for at
least the first half of 2016 and potentially flipped at the deadline since both
look to be headed for free agency. Unfortunately for the Phillies, in late
April, Morton went down with a torn hamstring and is out for the remainder of
the season. However, Hellickson has stayed healthy and pitched well enough to
garner some interest. He sports a 6-6 record with a 3.92 ERA and a 1.20 WHIP.
The Red Sox were reportedly scouting Hellickson before the break. Although today’s
trade with San Diego to acquire left-handed pitcher Drew Pomeranz may cause
Boston’s interest to diminish. The Phillies made a wise move with their
rotation coming out of the break to open up with Hellickson tomorrow night
against the Mets, giving the 29-year old as many chances as possible to boost
his value.
Cameron Rupp: Rupp is perhaps the most surprising trade
candidate the Phillies possess. CSN Philly’s Corey Seidman broke down Rupp’s
value here noting that Phillies’ catcher is in the top five in batting average,
slugging percentage and OPS among fellow catchers. Additionally, Rupp is under
club control through 2020. So if a contender needs some offense, from a
position which offense doesn’t usually come from, Rupp could be a solution for
this season and beyond. It makes perfect sense for the Phillies after acquiring
current AA catcher Jorge Alfaro in the Cole Hamels trade last summer and having
AAA catching prospect Andrew Knapp knocking on the door. There’s already been
speculation that Knapp will likely have to switch positions if he remains with
the Phillies when Alfaro reaches the majors. So there probably won’t be much room
for Rupp anyway. If a team doesn’t bite on Rupp in the next two weeks, this is
certainly something the Phillies could revisit in the winter or next year at
the deadline if Rupp continues to provide consistent production.
Andres Blanco: Nothing wrong with a utility man off the bench right? At 32, Blanco has played almost everywhere in the infield for the Phillies this season. Like many of the team’s trade chips, he is slated to become a free agent in the offseason. But, with only 147 plate appearances, the sample size isn’t good for Blanco and therefore I wouldn’t expect anything here. But all it takes is one team.
Peter Bourjas: The Phillies signed Bourjas to a one-year deal
in December and from the organization’s perspective, it makes too much sense to
try and move him. Bourjas had a good month of June and has seen his batting
average jump up to .274. He has been given ample opportunities in right field
thanks to an injury in spring training to Aaron Altherr. Altherr raised some
eyebrows down the stretch in 2015 and was someone the Phillies were almost
certainly eager to further evaluate this season. Altherr started a rehab
assignment prior to the break and could return in the near future.
Additionally, outfield prospect Nick Williams figures to be a candidate for a big
league promotion at some point before season’s end. The next couple weeks are
pivotal for Bourjas with Altherr’s return and the trade deadline right around
the corner.
Andrew Bailey: It’s been an up-and-down season so far for
Bailey. His production has been pedestrian as indicated by his 4.61 ERA and he
also endured a DL stint in the first half. However, Bailey is striking out just
over nine hitters per nine innings and has shown previously in his career he
has the stuff to be a closer. But, ultimately his inconsistency this season
will probably be enough of a red flag where contenders looking for bullpen help
could look elsewhere.
David Hernandez: Hernandez was the favorite before the
season opened to be the Phillies’ closer. Signing him to a one-year contract
worth just under $4 million indicated the Phillies were looking for a cheap
option to hold down the ninth inning after trading away Ken Giles. However,
Hernandez struggled out of the gate and Jeanmar Gomez eventually took the ninth
inning role and ran with it. Hernandez’s numbers are similar to Bailey’s and
both are free agents following the season. Both probably have to prove to be
more consistent for teams interested in signing either one of them in the
winter, which unfortunately for the Phillies, means there’s probably not much
of a market right now.
Jeanmar Gomez: Like Rupp, the Phillies control Gomez beyond
this season. However, of all the possible trade candidates, Gomez could be the
one the Phillies are least interested in moving. He has been very impressive this
season on his way to 24 saves and a 2.59 ERA by the break. Entering the season,
the bullpen was one of the Phillies biggest concerns and Gomez has proven to be
the most consistent option, thus claiming the closer’s job. With Gomez under
contract for 2017, the team may want to use the rest of this season and most of
next season to determine if he’s the guy they want getting the last three outs
for several years down the line. But, because of Gomez’s production so far, if
a Phillies reliever is going to generate interest around the league, it will
almost certainly be Gomez.
If I had to guess, I would say Hellickson and Rupp are the
most likely of these players to be moved with Hellickson’s chances higher than
Rupp’s. While it makes sense for players like Bourjas, Blanco, Hernandez and
Bailey to be traded, there probably won’t be enough interest to get something
done. Gomez is an interesting possibility if the Phillies dangle him, but is
also probably worth keeping into next season.
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