The greatest need for the Philadelphia Phillies might not be to add a starting pitcher but it wouldn’t hurt for an upgrade. Ranger Suarez and Zach Eflin haven’t been the arms they needed them to be. Even Kyle Gibson is average at best.
Perhaps worst of all, the Phillies don’t have much depth behind their starting five. A wise trade deadline strategy might include adding a starting pitcher only to move one of the current guys into the bullpen where he can improve the relief corps while lying in the grass waiting for another opportunity to start in case of an emergency.
There are several players out there the Phillies could target in a trade. Realistically, these four should be within the prospect price range the team can even afford.
1. Affordable Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher trade candidate: Martin Perez.
Martin Perez is having an excellent year for the Texas Rangers. Through 14 starts, he’s 5-2 with a 1.96 ERA. Despite this fantastic numbers, he shouldn’t be out of reach for the Phillies. He might just cost more than usual because of his unexpectedly dominant early performance.
Perez is a free agent after this season which does make him a rental. The Phillies’ relationship with Texas when it comes to making trade deadline moves is quite extensive. We all remember when Cole Hamels was traded to the Rangers several years back. Just last summer, Kyle Gibson was the starter headed to Philadelphia.
Texas has played well of late—possibly because they have been able to beat up on the Phillies during their meetings in 2022. They are, however, not a postseason team. They’d be wise to trade Perez even if they ultimately plan to re-sign him in the offseason.
The trouble with acquiring Perez is that someone else might end up overpaying. The trade market for top starting pitchers isn’t huge. As others look to complete their starting five, one may end up paying more than Perez is worth.
2. Affordable Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher trade candidate: Jose Quintana.
Jose Quintana is another guy on a bad team having a pretty good year. A member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, he is 1-4 with a 3.60 ERA after 14 appearances. He has a far better track record than Perez but he isn’t having quite the same season. Quintana got battered around recently which did a ton of damage to his ERA. Best suited to slot in as a number five guy, he shouldn’t be too rich for the Phillies’ blood.
In fact, Quintana might be exactly the kind of pitcher the Phillies could look at if they plan to move Suarez to the bullpen. He is a lefty capable of eating up innings. Even if he is nearing the end of his career, Quintana should be counted on to get them through at least five each time he takes the mound.
The Pirates don’t have a whole lot going on for them this year which is why a player like closer David Bednar could get moved to capitalize on his early success. Quintana’s situation is different. Pittsburgh gave him a chance to rebuild his value and he has taken advantage of this opportunity.
The next phase of his time with the Pirates is to get moved to a contender—or at least a team like the Phillies hoping to gain that adjective.
3. Affordable Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher trade candidate: Chad Kuhl.
Chad Kuhl could be the guy we consider to be the one Quintana replaced in Pittsburgh. His time there didn’t go all that great as he posted ERAs in the 4.00s in all five of his seasons there. Now a member of the Colorado Rockies, he has somehow put himself on a much more promising path.
Kuhl hasn’t been nearly as good as he was earlier this season. However, after 13 starts, he is still 4-5 with a 3.95 ERA. Surviving Colorado is difficult for any pitcher. Kuhl is managing himself well with the Rockies and would be a nice affordable option for the Phillies to kick the tires on.
Because of a not-so-stellar history, he’d even be a candidate to move to the bullpen if he struggles. Kuhl has never been a big strikeout pitcher and walks have been a problem. Yet another free agent after this season is over, the Rockies will be on the prowl looking for a match in a trade for him this summer.
Compared to Perez and Quintana, Kuhl is a bit underwhelming. Quintana has been really good in the past and Perez is doing some special things this year. With Kuhl, one can raise the question of whether or not he is even an improvement for the Phillies rotation. A counterargument could be that the team could benefit from trading for him and placing him in their bullpen. As a sixth starter option to get them through the grind of a full season, he’s not a half-bad pickup.
4. Affordable Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher trade candidate: Zach Davies.
The career Zach Davies has had fits in line well with affordable trade candidates. This season, with the Arizona Diamondbacks, he is 2-4 with a 3.96 ERA in 14 starts. It’s not great. It’s not bad either. It’s very average and that has been what he has shown throughout his big league career.
Davies is another low-strikeout pitcher we could expect the Phillies to consider for their bullpen/starting pitcher depth. Following their strong start to the season, the Diamondbacks have faded and should now be looking to trade away veterans. Davies is surprisingly only 29 which may come as a shock to some who are familiar with him. He has been a major league pitcher since 2015 with most of his years coming as a member of the Milwaukee Brewers.
The price on Davies would be similar to Kuhl with maybe a little more needed because of his resume. The two are in similar positions, having above-averages seasons on losing ball clubs. If the Phillies did target Davies, he’d also be an option to put in the bullpen over any of the current guys. It could be a challenge for him, though. He has never pitched an inning in relief.
From these four options, Perez is the obvious player that would improve the Phillies the most. Get him, move one of the other starters to the bullpen, and then go out and capture a playoff spot.
If not him, Quintana is a solid second option. Kuhl and Davies feel more like depth than an improvement. Considering the small number of options the Phillies will have to trade away and improve their ball club, any of the four are realistic.