June is coming to a close and the Philadelphia Phillies have already lost 50 games and are mired in last place in the NL East.
In what was expected to be a year of improvement from the Philadelphia Phillies, they have fallen flat by almost every metric possible. The team has no bullpen, no ace, and a quarter of an effective MLB lineup. Add in injuries to Vince Velasquez, Jerad Eickhoff, and Cesar Hernandez and it should be no surprise that this team is struggling.
The bright spots have been few and far between with Aaron Altherr stealing the show on offense and a trio of young pitchers doing well in replacement duty. Ben Lively, Nick Pivetta, and Mark Leiter Jr. have impressed in their debuts but as seen with Zach Eflin, performances from young pitchers should be taken with a grain of salt because they can have a volatile outcome.
Due to these factors, the biggest thing that Phillies fans have to look forward to is the MLB Trade deadline. With the deadline about a month away, the buyers are beginning to separate from the sellers and the Phillies are most definitely a seller. With only seven teams within four games of the Wild Card spots (all in the American League), it is shaking out to be a buyers market.
This isn’t what the Phillies need but there is a wide talent gap in the National League this year which will be exploited by contenders on the market. This doesn’t mean that the Phillies can’t help a contender but it does mean that expectations need to be tempered on the market.
Last season a guy like Jeremy Hellickson would have likely fetched 2 mid level prospects. This season, he’ll likely fetch one. Last season Jeanmar Gomez would have been one of the best relievers on the market. This season he’s off the team. (Klentak needs to facepalm himself for missing that train). Let’s take a look at the value of the Phillies’ current trade chips.
Daniel Nava: Outfielder
More from Philadelphia Phillies
- The Real Reason Behind Trea Turner’s Recent Hot Streak
- VIDEO: Bryce Harper Hustles for Inside-the-Park Home Run vs. Giants
- Phillies Fans Let Ex-Manager Gabe Kapler Hear It in First Inning
- Andrew Knapp Finds New MLB Home With AL Contender
- VIDEO: Phillies Send Touching Message to Media Little League Team Before World Series
A switch-hitting outfielder who’s serviceable in the field and has playoff experience can help most teams is always a decent get on the trade market. The issue is that guys like Nava are everywhere depending on if teams want to trade them. This will lower Nava’s value on the open market.
Nava hasn’t been bad for the Philadelphia Phillies batting .275 and getting on base at a .385 clip but he has only appeared in 47 games. That too will hurt Nava’s value as it remains to be seen if his numbers are due to small sample size or if they are sustainable. Contenders could look at Nava as a bench option but his list of suitors will likely be pretty thin. The Phillies would be lucky to receive a prospect within a team’s top 30 for Nava and a more likely scenario would see Nava moved for a player to be named later or cash considerations. A hot streak over the next few weeks could see Nava’s stock rise but as of now, he’s firmly entrenched at the tail end of our trade deadline ranks.
Jeremy Hellickson: Pitcher
Hey, guys it me! Missed opportunity calling.
That Balls Outta Here
While hindsight is 20/20, Jeremy Hellickson should have been traded last year. While it was expected that Hellickson would decline the Qualifying Offer which would leave the Phillies with a compensatory pick but that’s not how things went down. Hellickson accepted the offer leaving the Philadelphia Phillies on the hook for a 17.9 million dollar salary and back in the same scenario for the second year in a row.
The issue is that this time around, it’s worse. Hellickson is falling back in line with his career numbers thanks to a 4.40 ERA. It’s also tougher to move him thanks to his salary and performance this season. While reliable starters will always have a place in the league, trading for one like Hellickson isn’t quite what contenders have in mind.
Hellickson may be able to be shifted after the deadline passes if he passes through waivers but that will be the most likely way for the Philadelphia Phillies to get something in return for him.
Howie Kendrick: Resident swiss army knife
Hellickson is a poor man’s Ben Zobrist that can play everywhere. Versatility is valued on contending teams because it can fill holes on a short bench and you can’t get much better than Kendrick. Kendrick has played first base, second base, third base and left field for the Philadelphia Phillies. While he missed time due to injury, Kendrick can help multiple contenders with various needs.
While he had a down year last season, Kendrick has hit, hit, and hit some more when he has been in the lineup for the Philadelphia Phillies. Sporting a .361 batting average and an on-base percentage of .418, Kendrick can add quite a bit of value to contending teams. Matt Klentak’s phone should be ringing about Kendrick and a bidding war could ensue.
Pat Neshek: Relief Pitcher
No member of the Phillies who isn’t under team control next season has a higher value on the market than Pat Neshek right now. Lost in a disappointing Phillies bullpen has been the steadiness of Neshek during the season. Neshek is 2-1 with a sterling .59 ERA on the season. Neshek is on pace to have more strikeouts than hits allowed for the fourth straight season as he excels at not allowing base runners.
Next: Mark Leiter Jr. impresses in his first start
Considering that a number of teams need bullpen help (especially if the Phillies are willing to deal Neshek within the division) the Phillies could get a solid prospect for Neshek. While he’s their crown jewel on the market, how Matt Klentak would like to proceed with Cesar Hernandez and Tommy Joseph can turn thier trade prospects on their heads. Due to having years of team control left, Joseph and Hernandez would easily jump to the top of this list in terms of what they could fetch on the market.