Philadelphia Phillies: Teams calling about Nola and Hoskins is concerning

Opposing teams seem to think the Philadelphia Phillies are “sellers.”

Following the news that the Philadelphia Phillies were quietly shopping the likes of RHP Zack Wheeler (reported by ESPN.com’s Buster Olney), two more key names have popped up in possible trade talks. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies have also gotten some calls in regards to Aaron Nola‘s and Rhys Hoskins‘ availability.

Before we dive too deep into these rumors, it’s important to note that Phillies owner John Middleton quickly rebuked the Zack Wheeler rumors in a call with NBC Sports’ Jim Salisbury. It’s unclear if current interim GM Ned Rice was shopping Wheeler without the owner’s knowledge, or if Middleton was simply performing damage control. Regardless, Buster Olney is an incredibly reliable reporter, so the Wheeler rumors definitely didn’t stem from nothing.

Wheeler almost certainly won’t get traded now due to all the public backlash, but there was definitely some serious smoke around his name. Where there’s smoke, there tends to be fire.

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In regards to Nola and Hoskins, it was made clear that teams are simply calling in regards to their availability, as opposed to the Philadelphia Phillies actively shopping them (like they may or may not have been doing with Wheeler). It’s common for teams to check in on a wide variety of players during the offseason, but the interest in Nola and Hoskins should set off some alarm bells for Phillies fans.

Front office executives around the league clearly think that the Phillies are “selling”, and potentially destined for yet another rebuild of sorts. The organization pumped a ridiculous amount of assets into the last two seasons, signing the likes of Bryce Harper, Andrew McCutchen, Zack Wheeler, and others, while also trading coveted prospects away for JT Realmuto and Jean Segura. The franchise has two playoff-less seasons to show for it, and still possess one of the higher payrolls in the sport.

The team hasn’t been shy with their perceived money issues as well, repeatedly crying poor due to COVID-19 and the pandemic. Many have speculated the team will use this as an excuse to not re-sign Realmuto. Plus the Phillies have already begun shopping veteran infielder Segura, likely due to his large salary.

This offseason isn’t over yet, and the Philadelphia Phillies pouncing on a new President/GM duo could salvage a lot of the damage that Matt Klentak and Andy MacPhail have caused. With that said, the national perspective of the Phils is clearly dwindling, and it’s looking like rival organizations are trying to take advantage of what appears to be a sinking ship.

Trading away either Nola or Hoskins would obviously be a really bad idea, and would likely signal the team embracing a full-on, multi-year rebuild once more. For reasons external to wins and losses, the Phillies need to tread very cautiously with this mindset, as Bryce Harper specifically signed up to pursue a World Series. Start trading away all his good teammates and close friends, and it won’t be long until teams start checking in on his availability too.

Middleton can say goodbye to a majority of his annual revenue if he loses Bryce Harper, one of the most marketable players in the history of sports.