Philadelphia Phillies: Top 5 players who could get dealt at the deadline
By David Esser
Currently sat four games below .500 heading into Friday night’s game against the San Diego Padres, things have not gone according to plan for the Philadelphia Phillies this season. A year where many thought the team would be competing for a division title for the first time in a decade, the Phillies are instead tumbling towards yet another sub-.500 finish.
With the MLB trade deadline just under a month away, one can only assume that Dave Dombrowski is going to be looking to shuffle some things around, primarily from a “selling” standpoint.
5 players stick out as potential deadline day trade chips for the Philadelphia Phillies.
Here’s a look at the Phillies top five trade pieces currently on the roster, players that could get dealt at the upcoming deadline for prospects, or separate MLB talent who better fit Dombrowski’s longterm vision:
Jean Segura, 2B
Once upon a time it felt like the Philadelphia Phillies were married to Jean Segura and his lofty contract, as he did not have a productive first two seasons with the team. His batting average dropped all the way from .280 to .266 between 2019 and 2020, and he had to be moved off starting shortstop duties following a career-high number of errors during his first season in Philly.
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Locked into a five-year/$70 million contract that carries him through 2022, the odds that another team would want to add Segura and his declining play to their payroll seemed near impossible.
However, following a hot start to the 2021 season, and a newfound ability to provide average/above average defense at second base, Segura now has the makings of a borderline All-Star. He’s batting .325 at the moment, which would actually be a career-high for the veteran infielder. There’s plenty of playoff-contending teams that would kill to add an extra .300+ hitter to their lineup.
One could make the argument that the Phillies are better off keeping Segura around for the 2022 campaign, but clearing that $14.85 million salary off the books would give Dombrowski plenty of room to target one of the marquee FA shortstops. If there was ever a time to offload Jean, it would definitely be now.