Philadelphia Phillies rumors: Unwilling to trade top prospects for starting pitchers
By Tim Boyle
Recent Philadelphia Phillies rumors from Jayson Stark have some fans questioning whether it’s purely Dave Dombrowski not having a good read of the market or him doing what many other clubs are right now. The MLB trade deadline has come to a standstill, with all teams seemingly ready to have a busy final two days.
According to the Phillies rumors from Stark, the team is focused on starting pitching but unwilling to part with any of their top prospects.
But I've also heard from multiple teams that the #Phillies haven't just said no on their 2 top-100 pitching prospects, Painter & Abel, but also on Griff McGarry, Ben Brown & Logan O'Hoppe
— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) July 31, 2022
Hard to see how they can trade for a Game 3/4 type starter without including one of those 3
As he notes, it’s hard to imagine any of these Phillies rumors coming true without trading away at least one of the better players on the farm getting dealt.
Can the Philadelphia Phillies acquire a starting pitcher without giving up a top prospect?
There isn’t an absolute stud available out there on the trade block for the Phillies to pursue. There are certainly good arms and many young and controllable ones. Then there are guys like Noah Syndergaard or Jose Quintana in walk years who wouldn’t cost nearly as much as the higher profile arms.
There is a difference between these classes of available starting pitchers. Syndergaard and Quintana are on “prove it deals,” with far different results in 2022. Syndergaard’s mission was to prove he’s healthy—which he has done. However, he hasn’t been nearly as electric as he was during his best days with the New York Mets. Quintana, meanwhile, has been effective for the Pittsburgh Pirates, as the Phillies saw firsthand the other day. As good as he has been, the trouble with landing him is how many other teams will be bidding against Philadelphia. Someone will overpay.
As for the younger and more controllable arms, you better believe there will be some big pieces needed to land them.
If there’s anything positive to take from these Phillies rumors, it’s a reminder of how much stronger the bullpen has been. The team is apparently shifting its focus away from having to add a reliever, although it wouldn’t hurt to upgrade at least one of those roster spots.
The Phillies have a unique advantage other teams don’t. They are getting two of their better hitters back in August when Jean Segura and Bryce Harper are scheduled to return from the IL. The lineup will be even better with them present. Hopefully, by then, the Phillies have also improved their starting five.
Next. Best trade deadline deals in Phillies history. dark
For Dombrowski to make the necessary trade, he’s going to have to go against these latest Phillies rumors. Something has to give. Because starting pitching is in such high demand, it will be the buyers who blink first.