The MLB trade deadline is time to rejoice for the Philadelphia Phillies
The MLB trade deadline is the perfect oppurtunity for the Philadelphia Phillies to completely change the direction of the franchise for the better.
As the MLB season continues on, the Philadelphia Phillies loss total keeps growing. When all is looking down, perhaps all should be looking up because the trade deadline is quickly approaching. The trade deadline to the Phillies is like the World Series to every other team. Here they get the opportunity to acquire some young talent and build for the future.
The Phils should have a positive outlook on this year’s deadline because they have, in fact, been successful in the past, specifically with the trade that sent Cole Hamels to the Texas Rangers that brought in a plethora of young talent.
The trade at the 2015 trade deadline brought in Jerad Eickhoff, Nick Williams, Jorge Alfaro, Jake Thompson, Alec Asher, and Matt Harrison. Two years later, all but one of those players made their MLB debuts with the Phillies, and two have proved already that they can develop into reliable starters in the coming years.
Don’t be fooled by Jerad Eickhoff’s 1-7 record. The Phillies only score 3.2 runs per game when he starts, which is on the lower part of the league. His ERA has run a little high this year, reaching over 4.00, but last season he finished with a 3.65 ERA. The young arm will continue to grow and adapt to the major league game more.
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Eickhoff is only 27 years old, giving him some time to transition into the second or third starting pitcher he is expected to be. At his current progression, he should peak right about when other prospects make it to the major leagues.
Nick Williams can be considered a minor league veteran at this point. He spent six and a half seasons starting from Rookie ball all the way to Triple-A, and he is now on the Major League club. In the first half of this season, Williams hit .280 average with 15 home runs and 44 RBI’s with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.
He has only been playing with the Phillies for 14 games, but he has sustained a respectable .290 batting average and hitting in the top half of the order. He ranks the fifth best prospect in the organization by MLB.com and has put up such promising numbers at only 23 years old.
Catcher Jorge Alfaro had his breakout season last year with Double-A Reading, hitting 15 home runs with 67 RBI’s all while hitting a .285 batting average. He stands at the Phils third ranked prospect and number 60 overall by MLB.com. There are high expectations for Alfaro to take over for Cameron Rupp and Andrew Knapp, both of whom have struggled this season. However, the Phillies will not rush Alfaro’s development in the minor leagues. Don’t be surprised to see Alfaro come up and be the next Carlos Ruiz in the upcoming years.
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Jerad Eickhoff, Nick Williams, and Jorge Alfaro were the three main takeaways from the Cole Hamels deal two years ago, and Phillies fans should be satisfied with what they got in return. These young players have the potential to peak at just about the same time, along with the rest of the supporting cast. The Phillies shouldn’t also forget about the potential from the fourth ranked prospect in all of baseball by MLB.com, JP Crawford, and others that could see major league action very soon, like Scott Kingery and Rhys Hoskins.