Philadelphia Phillies: 3 trades to catch the Mets in the NL East
By Tim Boyle
A sleeping giant has been woken up. The Philadelphia Phillies are beginning to show the rest of the National League East they are not a team to roll over and let the New York Mets take it without a fight. Along with the Atlanta Braves, the division race has suddenly gotten a light tighter this month.
The Phillies are positioning themselves to become trade deadline buyers rather than sellers. In order to catch the Mets as they did in 2021, they’ll need to make a few trades.
What can Dave Dombrowski do for this team? Acquiring any of these three players could be a good start.
1. Philadelphia Phillies trade to catch the Mets: Luis Castillo.
Cincinnati Reds pitcher Luis Castillo should be on the move this summer. A trade candidate throughout the offseason, Philadelphia was never really a destination for him because of the starters they already had.
Upon further review, it looks like the Phillies could use another arm for the rotation.
The plan should be to acquire a more experienced starter and move Ranger Suarez to the bullpen. He hasn’t been quite as effective as the Phillies need him to be. Plus, he could give them the left-handed reliever their bullpen needs. Two problems are immediately solved.
Castillo has proven he can pitch in a hitter’s ballpark effectively. Also under team control through next season, he is more than a rental. The Phillies can just as easily consider him the replacement for Kyle Gibson—an upgrade over him as well.
The trouble with acquiring Castillo is the high price for him. Martin Perez of the Texas Rangers might be a nice alternative pitcher to look at as well. The Rangers and Phillies always seem to have a conversation each year at the trade deadline. This season might not be an exception.