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Phillies insider reveals top three prospect trade candidates as deadline looms
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- Phillies insider reveals top three prospect trade candidates as deadline looms
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The Philadelphia Phillies have multiple needs to fill come the trade deadline, so that means the franchise will have to part with some of their top prospects. With the Phillies eyeing another October run, a team insider has revealed the top three prospects most likely to be dealt.
The Phillies have two major concerns going into the July 31 trade deadline: a high-leverage reliever and a right-handed outfield bat.
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They failed to upgrade their bullpen in the offseason after losing two high-leverage arms in Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez in free agency. The Phillies brought in Jordan Romano , who has posted a 6.84 ERA this season. Jose Alvarado was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for a PED and is prohibited from pitching in the playoffs if the Phillies reach the postseason. Philadelphia's relievers rank 24th in baseball with a 4.56 ERA and 15th in strikeout rate at 8.74 per nine.
On the offensive side, center field has been problematic. The center field platoon between Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas has struggled at the plate, combining for a .631 OPS — 21st in baseball — and two home runs — dead last. Meanwhile, the Phillies signed outfielder Max Kepler to a one-year, $10 million deal hoping for a bounce-back season, but he is hitting just .221 with a 98 OPS+ and nine home runs in left field.
If the Phillies want to get back to the World Series, those two issues need to be addressed. Because of that, The Athletic's Matt Gelb believes these three Phillies prospects are most likely to be traded at the deadline.
Abel has made four career starts and his first one was memorable when he struck out nine across five scoreless innings against the Pittsburgh Pirates while outdueling Paul Skenes . He currently has a 2.21 ERA and 17 strikeouts in 20 1/3 innings.
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Tait, the team's fourth-ranked prospect and 72nd in baseball by MLB.com , is an 18-year-old catcher who has some pop. He's slashing .268/.340/.468 with nine home runs in 56 games at Single-A Clearwater.
As for the 23-year-old Cabrera, the Phillies' 11th-ranked prospect, he has a 3.88 ERA across 12 starts with Double-A Reading. He's holding opponents to a .194 average and throws in the mid-90s.
Gelb adds that the division to monitor for top-tier relievers will be the AL Central, as the Minnesota Twins' Griffin Jax and Jhoan Duran, Cleveland Guardians' Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith , and Kansas City Royals' Lucas Erceg could potentially be available.
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