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Jun 25, 2023

Phillies weighing potential price of Deadline deals

Todd Zolecki This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox. The price for talent in

Todd Zolecki

This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The price for talent in the weeks leading to the Trade Deadline can be exorbitant.

Oftentimes, it can be ridiculous.

“If you talk to somebody and you’re looking for a fill-in guy, a backup utility guy: ‘Oh, we’ll take your top two starting pitching prospects.’ It’s like, ‘What?’” Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said a year ago around this time. “But come August 1, they won't be looking at that same type of thing.”

Tuesday’s 6 p.m. Trade Deadline is coming fast, and notable names have already been moved. Keep those players in mind when you think about what the Phillies might need to pay to find a right-handed-hitting outfielder, starting pitching depth and anything else they might want to do.

First, a refresher: Here are the Phillies’ Top 30 prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. Andrew Painter (No. 8), Mick Abel (No. 41) and Justin Crawford (No. 82) are ranked among MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects.

Second, here’s a look at four recent trades and the package of prospects it required to get them.

RHP Lucas Giolito and RHP Reynaldo López to AngelsBoth Giolito (3.79 ERA in 21 starts) and López (4.29 ERA in 43 appearances) are free agents after the season, but the Angels sent two top prospects to the White Sox to make this happen. Chicago got catcher Edgar Quero, who is the No. 65 prospect in MLB, and right-hander Ky Bush. Quero and Bush became Chicago’s No. 2 and No. 6 prospects, respectively.

Quero would be a top-five prospect in the Phillies’ system. So who’s the Phillies’ comp in a hypothetical trade for Giolito? Crawford? Bush might be a top 10-15 prospect for the Phillies.

RHP Lance Lynn and RHP Joe Kelly to DodgersNeither Lynn (6.47 ERA in 21 starts) or Kelly (4.97 ERA in 31 appearances) are having good seasons. Both have $1 million buyouts on club options for 2024. But the Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in baseball -- the Phillies’ system entered the season ranked 21st by MLB Pipeline -- so they could afford to send pitching prospects Nick Nastrini and Jordan Leasure and outfielder Trayce Thompson to Chicago. Nastrini immediately became the White Sox’s top pitching prospect, ranking fourth overall in the system. Nastrini would be at least a top 10 prospect for the Phillies. He might even be comparable to Griff McGarry, who is the Phillies’ No. 4 prospect. Leasure became the Sox’s best bullpen prospect. He might be comparable to No. 21 Phillies prospect Orion Kerkering.

RHP Kendall Graveman to AstrosGraveman (3.48 ERA in 45 appearances) is owed $8 million in 2024. The White Sox got Astros catching prospect Korey Lee, who was the Astros’ No. 5 prospect. He is 13th in the White Sox’s system.

RHP David Robertson to MarlinsRobertson (2.05 ERA in 40 appearances) will be a free agent following the season. The Marlins sent New York a couple of young prospects: 18-year-old shortstop Marco Vargas and 19-year-old catcher Ronald Hernández. They ranked 18th and 21st in Miami’s system at the time of the trade. Vargas jumped to No. 6 in the Mets’ system, and Hernández moved to No. 17.