5 best trade candidates if the Philadelphia Phillies are deadline sellers

2. Philadelphia Phillies trade candidate: Rhys Hoskins.

Rhys Hoskins is under team control for one more year after this but that shouldn’t stop the Phillies from shopping him as soon as this year’s trade deadline. The market for first basemen/DHs in the offseason isn’t incredibly vast whereas mid-year teams may have far fewer options. Let’s say a team is without their starting first baseman or could simply use an offensive boost out of the DH spot. This is where a guy like Hoskins can come in and rake.

There’s no urgency to move on from Hoskins but it feels as if that’s the eventual future he will have in Philadelphia. His time with the club has been a bit underwhelming at times. After looking like the next Ryan Howard early on in his career, Hoskins has turned into a less powerful first baseman whose eye at the plate and ability to draw walks makes him an OBP darling.

Trading Hoskins this summer could also allow the Phillies to line themselves up better defensively. Castellanos or Schwarber could get starts at first base. Alec Bohm could even move across the diamond.

Everyone knows the Phillies are a dreadfully poor team when it comes to fielding the ball. Hoskins has been one of the longer-tenured players in this regard. The Phillies don’t need to trade him if they fall out of the playoff race like they do with Knebel. They should, at the very least, field a few offers.