Section 215
Fansided

Phillies: Top 5 starting pitching trade targets, per MLB Trade Rumors

By David Esser

May 23, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray (55) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
May 23, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rockies starting pitcher Jon Gray (55) delivers a pitch in the first inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 6
Next
Phillies Michael Pineda
May 13, 2021; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Michael Pineda (35) pitches in the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Quinn Harris-USA TODAY Sports /

Michael Pineda, Minnesota Twins

The Twins were expected to be somewhat competitive this season, but have stumbled out of the gate with a 22-33 record. Unless things massively change during the month of June, one can only assume that they’ll be looking to offload some pieces who are set to be free agents in the winter.

One of those pieces is that of veteran right-hander Michael Pineda, the #15 player on MLBTR’s top 40 trade candidates list. An eight-year pro whose time in New York overlapped with Joe Girardi, Pineda would be a welcome addition to any team’s rotation at the moment. Currently boasting a 3.40 ERA and a 1.070 WHIP, Pineda has the makings of an adequate #3 starter or a plus #4 on a bubble team looking to surge for the postseason.

Set to be a free agent at the end of the season as well, Pineda ticks all the boxes of what teams typically look for in “rental” players around the midseason mark.

Related Story. Philadelphia Phillies: Zack Wheeler to the All-Star Game is a must. light

Once again for the Phillies, I don’t really see them targeting a more expensive rental piece in Pineda ($10 million salary) unless they drastically improve their postseason odds between now and then. This team really should be prioritizing pieces that can help them in 2022 and beyond, as opposed to just burning assets on rental players who only help them in the short term.

Home/Philadelphia Phillies