July 15th, 2018:

Phillies Trade RP Hoby Milner to Tampa Bay for Cash Considerations

Hoby Milner was called up by the Phillies during the second half of the 2017 season. He showed some signs of promise, and possibly a role as a future piece to the bullpen during that time, as he posted a 2.01 ERA over 31.1 innings of work. Most Phillies fans will remember Hoby for allowing a home run to Freddie Freeman on opening day of 2018 after rookie manager Gabe Kapler pulled Aaron Nola a tad prematurely. Milner didn’t find the same success in 2018. He only pitched in 14 games for the Phillies, and over those 14 games, he pitched to a 7.36 ERA and a 6.80 FIP.

Grade: C (Didn’t lose or gain much)

July 27th, 2018:

Phillies Trade SP Franklyn Kilome to the New York Mets for SS Asdrubal Cabrera

The first real move the Phillies made at the 2018 trade deadline was the addition of Asdrubal Cabrera. The Phils brought in Cabrera with the hopes of him stabilizing the lineup a bit, as the Phillies were prepared to make their first playoff push a quite some time. When the Phillies traded for Cabrera he was slashing .277/.329/.488 with an .817 OPS. So by most accounts, this was a guy who could come into the middle of the lineup, and really make an impact on offense. Well that didn’t happen. Cabrera slashed .228/.286/.392 with a .678 OPS. Cabrera obviously walked at the conclusion of the season and signed a one year contract with Texas. As for Kilome, when the Phillies traded him to the rival New York Mets, he was the Phillies number 10 prospect. Kilome posted a 4.18 between the Phillies and Mets AA affiliates. After the 2018 season had ended, the Mets announced that Kilome was undergoing Tommy John surgery, and missed the entire 2019 season. Kilome will most likely begin the season in AAA in 2020, and it’s very possible that he sees some time in the MLB this upcoming season, as he is currently on the Mets 40 man roster. How well he is able to rebound from the TJ surgery is TBA.

Grade: C-

July 31st, 2018:

Phillies trade Jacob Waguespack to Toronto for Aaron Loup

When the Phillies traded for Aaron Loup, they were hoping to add an effective lefty to the bullpen to help them make a strong push for a wild card spot. Loup pitched in nine games for the Phillies after they picked him up at the 2018 deadline. Over those nine games, he recorded a 4.50 ERA and a 3.66 FIP. As for Jacob Waguespack, he made his MLB debut for Toronto the following season and posted a 4.38 ERA and a 4.91 FIP over 13 starts. Obviously these aren’t fantastic numbers by any means, but Waguespack is only 25 years old, and someone like that in the Phillies rotation last year after losing Jake Arrieta for the season, and the struggles of Vince Velazquez and Nick Pivetta, would have been a great help for the Phils.

Grade: D

Tampa Bay Trades Wilson Ramos to Philadelphia for Cash Considerations

Not a lot of people were expecting the Phillies to go out and get a catcher at the 2018 deadline, but that’s what they did. Jorge Alfaro was one of the weaker spots in the lineup at the time and the Phillies decided they were going to make a change. Wilson Ramos came over and immediately made a huge impact for the team. He slashed .337/.396/.483 over the two months on the Phillies. Obviously the Phillies ended up falling short of their postseason aspirations, but that was no fault of Wilson Ramos. The most astonishing part of this trade, is the fact that it didn’t cost the Phillies a single prospect.

Grade: A+

August 10th, 2018:

Marlins trade Justin Bour to Philadelphia for Mckenzie Mills

The Phillies were relatively busy throughout August before the waiver trade deadline in 2018. They started off, by acquiring 1B Justin Bour from the Miami Marlins. Bour is a guy that has some great seasons with the Marlins, including 2017, where he posted a .902 OPS, and participated in the home run derby. When the Phillies traded for Bour, they were hoping to sure up their bench, which was pretty weak for the most part. Bour slashed .227/.3447/.412 while with Miami in 2018, and .224/.296/.347 while with Philadelphia. Bour was non tendered after the 2018 season, and signed a 1 year contract with the Angels for the 2019 season. As for Mckenzie Mills, he was listed as the 23rd propsect in the Phillies system. Mills was acquired from the Nationals in the Howie Kendrick trade a little over a year prior. Mills made 23 starts for the Phillies High-A affiliate and pitched to a 3.29 ERA. In his first year in Miami, he pitched in both High-A , and AA, recording a 4.23 ERA over 20 starts between the two levels. Mills appeared in 28 games in 2019, but only made 9 starts for the Marlins AA affilate in 2019. Mills recorded a 5.36 ERA over those 28 games. He’s still only 23 years old, and has time to get back on track. Mills could see the AAA level at some point in the near future.

Grade: C-

August 22nd, 2018:

White Sox trade RP Luis Avilan to the Phillies for Felix Paulino

The Phillies weren’t done at the waiver trade deadline after adding Justin Bour. They looked to the Chicago White Sox to help sure up the bullpen, and add another lefty to compliment Adam Morgan and Aaron Loup. Avilan had a 3.86 ERA and a 2.71 FIP for Chicago at the time of the trade. Luis was used as more of a lefty specialist in his time with Philadelphia, getting into 12 games, and pitching to a 3.18 ERA. The goal in acquiring Avilan was to add more lefty depth in the pen, and he did just that for the Phils. Felix Paulino on the other hand, was sent to Chicago, after recording a 3.18 ERA in High-A for the Phillies, and a 5.11 ERA in AA over just three appearances. Paulino reached as high as AA for the White Sox in 2019, where he was able to log a 3.86 ERA over the duration of the 2019 season. It is possible that the 25 year old will see some AAA action for the White Sox this upcoming season.

Grade: C+

August 28th, 2018:

New York Mets trade Jose Bautista to the Phillies for Cash Considerations

The final trade the Phillies made at the 2018 waiver deadline, was perhaps the most fun one as well. If you know anything about the sport of baseball, you know that Jose Bautista was one of the most fun, electrifying players in recent memory. So when the Phillies added him to the roster at the waiver deadline, it was a very cool experience. Obviously Jose’s best days were behind him, but that didn’t stop him from being very productive for the Phillies throughout the final month of the season. Bautista slashed .244/.404/.467 over just about 60 at bats for the Phillies. On top of his solid production, and his .404 on base clip, the fact of adding a face like Jose Bautista to a relatively younger club was something that made a lot of sense.

Grade: B+

December 3rd, 2018:

Seattle Mariners trade Jean Segura, Juan Nicasio, and James Pazos to the Phillies for J.P. Crawford and Carlos Santana

The first major move of the Phillies 2018-2019 offseason was one that got the fanbase excited. The Phillies were adding a true contact bat in Jean Segura. The Phillies had signed 1B Carlos Santana to a 3yr/60M contract the prior year, a move that never really made a ton of sense, as it moved one the Phillies biggest blue chip players in Rhys Hoskins to left field. Santana went on to be flipped to Cleveland a few weeks after this trade, and had a fantastic season. A lot of Philadelphia fans weren’t happy with the Santana trade after seeing him have an all-star season with the Indians. Although, its highly unlikely that Carlos had that type of season in Philly for a few reasons. The main one being the fact that he is just far more comfortable in Cleveland. Another being the fact that the situation for him in Philadelphia wasn’t the best from the jump, and the Phillies were able to clear up his rather large contract to make some other large moves in the offseason. As for J.P. Crawford, it was sad to see him go. Not because he was a great player, or because his absence would hurt the team in a negative way, but because he was the clubs #1 prospect for so many years, and at a point in time, was the number two prospect in all of baseball. This trade officially meant that he would never live up to that title with the Phillies. Moving him however, was the right thing to do, since he still had decent value. Jean Segura didn’t have the best of seasons in his debut season for the Phillies, slashing .280/.323/.420, but his track record speaks for himself. Not to mention all the mental hurdles Jean had to endure during the season. Jean admitted that the loss of his grandmother, who played a fundamental part of his upbringing, really took a toll on him mentally. Jean also was held responsible by some for the injury to Andrew McCutchen, which is a blasphemous thing to even suggest, but it did take a toll on him. Jean came into camp with a clear mind, a good attitude, and in great shape. His track record speaks for himself, and Jean can and should have a very positive bounce back campaign during the upcoming season. I for one, am excited to watch a new and improved Jean Segura in 2020. Also apart of this deal, were RPs Juan Nicasio, and James Pazos. Nicasio made 47 outings for the Phillies and posted a 4.75 ERA over those 47 outings. Nicasio walked away in free agency at the seasons end and signed a MILB deal with the Texas Rangers. As for James Pazos, he didn’t make the team following the end of spring, and was traded by the club after a short stint for the Iron Pigs (AAA). Pazos was traded to the Rockies, where he still plays. Some may grade this trade a little lower than me. But with the strong possibility of a bounce back season from Jean Segura, and the underwhelming major league play of J.P. Crawford, as well as the unlikelihood that Carlos Santana found much success comparable to his season in Cleveland, this trade isn’t bad at all in my eyes. Jean Segura should play a major role in the Phillies offense this upcoming season, and it should be fun to watch.

Grade: C+ (with the potential to be a B- or B)

December 6th, 2018:

Angels trade Jose Alvarez to the Phillies for Luis Garcia

The Phillies absolutely robbed the Angels in this deal. There isn’t really any other way around it. Garica posted a 6.07 ERA in 2018 for the Phillies. But the thing the Angels saw, was his pretty good 3.51 FIP, showing that Garica was pretty unlucky throughout the 2018 season. This also came after his 2017 where he posted a 2.65 ERA and a 3.12 FIP. So I see why Billy Eppler might have made this move. Garica posted a 4.35 ERA and a 5.94 FIP for LAA in 2019, while Jose Alvarez posted a respectable 3.36 ERA for the Phillies in 2019. Alvarez is truly a model of consistency out of the bullpen over the years. In 2018, he was the best RP on the Angels, posting a 2.71 ERA for the club. This comes after a 3.88 ERA in 2017, a 3.45 ERA in 2016, and a 3.49 ERA in 2016. Finding a consistent lefty out of the pen can be difficult, and the fact that the Phillies were able to do that, is key.

Grade: A

February 7th, 2019:

Marlins trade J.T. Realmuto to the Phillies for Sixto Sanchez, Jorge Alfaro, and Will Stewart

Without a doubt, the JT Realmuto trade is the biggest trade that Matt Klentak has made as the general manager of the Phillies. The Phillies sort of snuck out of nowhere in the Realmuto sweepstakes, as teams like ATL, SD, CIN, TB, and LAD all were rumored more heavily than the Phillies for most of the offseason. The Phillies made upgrading at catcher a priority at the 2018 deadline as well, so the need for an improvement at catcher seemed to be something the Phillies were determined to make happen, and by adding the most well rounded catcher in baseball, they did just that. Obviously adding an elite talent like Realmuto comes at a steep price. The Phillies had to part ways with one of their top prospects, and top 100 MLB prospect Sixto Sanchez. Sanchez pitched in 18 games for the Marlins AA affilate, and recorded a 2.55 ERA, 2.69 FIP, and 2.96 xFIP. The loss of Jorge Alfaro is less significant however. Sure, Jorge has a lot of potential, and could be the catcher of the future in Miami, but when you replace him with JT Realmuto, losing Alfaro doesn’t seem like a huge deal. Alfaro slashed .262/.312/.425 in 2019 with Miami. Will Stewart, was the final piece of the deal. Stewart was never considered a top prospect when he was in the Phillies organization, but he quietly put up some great numbers. In 2018, while with the Mid-A Lakewood Blueclaws, Stewart recorded a 2.06 ERA, 3.09 FIP, and a 3.21 xFIP. When he was traded to Miami, hes spent the entire season in the Marlins High-A affiliate, pitching to a 5.43 ERA and a 4.43 FIP. Realmuto, had yet another elite season, both offensively, and defensively in 2019. Leading the MLB in runners caught stealing by over 20. He also slugged just under .500 and had an fWAR of 5.7, the highest in the MLB among catchers. Realmuto will be a free agent at the conclusion of the 2020 season, and both the Phillies, and Realmuto have both expressed their desire to work out a long term extension.

Grade: B

April 26th, 2019:

Phillies trade James Pazos to Colorado for Hunter Stovall

After not making the team out of camp, Pazos made a brief stint for the AAA Iron Pigs before being traded to the Colorado Rockies. Pazos spent most of the season in the Rockies AAA affiliate, but made 12 outings at the major league level as well. Pazos recorded a 1.74 ERA, 3.70 FIP, and 3.40 xFIP over those 12 outings. In 2018 with Seattle, Pazos logged a 2.88 ERA, 3.60 FIP, and 4.15 xFIP, over 50 innings. And going back even further to 2017, Pazos had a 3.86 ERA, and a 3.65 xFIP. So Pazos has been a decently solid RP over the past three seasons. The Phillies never really gave Pazos a chance, and traded him before he could really settle in. The return for Pazos, was 23 year old 3B, Hunter Stovall. Stovall slashed .242/.329/.333 during the 2019 season, while reaching as high as Mid-A Lakewood. Giving up on a guy like Pazos, who has put up respectable numbers throughout his career didn’t, and still doesn’t make much sense to me, and the return doesn’t make up for the questionable move.

Grade: D

June 2nd, 2019:

Mariners trade Jay Bruce to the Phillies for Jake Scheiner

The Phillies were forced to make an early season trade due to an extremely unproductive bench. Jay Bruce was supposed to come over, and become the main guy off the bench, and occasionally make a start or two in the outfield. When Andrew McCutchen tore his ACL and missed the rest of the 2019 season just days after Bruce was acquired, Bruce’s role changed dramatically. From then, to the trade deadline, he would start regularly in left field. Bruce put up a SLG of over .500 in 2019 for the Phillies, and made his presence known with a big grand slam in his first start as a Phillie. Bruce proved to be a very valuable piece during 2019, and will do the same in 2020 in a bench role. Jake Scheiner slashed .266/.325/.451 between the Phillies and Mariners High-A teams. The only downfall to Jake is the fact that he is 23, and is yet to play in AA, which he will most likely do this upcoming season. The odds of Scheiner making a larger impact than Bruce has for the Phillies are unlikely. All in all, this was a solid trade.

Grade: B-

June 13th, 2019:

Yankees trade Brad Miller to Philadelphia for Cash Considerations

The acquisition to acquire Brad Miller was the biggest under the radar move that Matt Klentak has ever made as GM of the Phillies. Miller came over to the Phillies and immediately became a fan favorite. He started the entire ‘bamboo’ craze when the Phillies were in a cold spell, and he was a big reason the team got hot again shortly after that. His energy was something the Phillies really needed. Miller also was super productive with the bat, slashing .263/.331/.610 over 118 at bats with the Philles. In September, Miller went on an absolute rampage. He had three games in which he hit two home runs in a matter of a week. 12 of his 31 hits were home runs, and between Bruce and him, the Phillies bench was the strongest it had been in quite some time. The Phillies were unable to resign Miller at the end of the 2019, as he was looking for a situation where he could play more frequently, so he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he could platoon with Matt Carpenter.

Grade: A+

July 20th, 2019:

Twins trade Mike Morin to the Phillies for Cash Considerations

The first trade of the 2019 trade deadline began with the Phillies acquiring a much needed pen arm. When the Phillies traded for Mike Morin, he had a 3.18 ERA and 4.49 FIP with Minnesota. Morin wasn’t unable to find the same success with Philadelphia, recording a 5.79 ERA over 29 outings. Even with Mike Morin struggling badly for the Phillies, the fact that the Phillies didn’t give up hardly anything in return, the trade still isn’t too awful.

Grade: D+

July 27th, 2019:

Padres trade Jose Pirela to the Phillies for Cash Considerations

Another small depth deadline deal, as the Phillies grab a decent utility player in Jose Pirela. Pirela missed most of the 2019 season due to injury with San Diego, but was posting monster numbers in the minors. In 2017, Pirela had a very nice season for the Padres, posting an .837 OPS. The Phillies took a flyer on Pirela hoping he could be a solid bench piece to help join a bench that included Jay Bruce, Brad Miller, Sean Rodriguez, and Andrew Knapp. Pirela slashed .235/.316/.471 for the Phillies over just 20 at bats. The highlight of his time with the Phillies, has a monster home run vs the Braves to give the Phillies the lead. The Phillies released Pirela at the end of the 2019 season, and he signed a multi year contract in the Nippon League.

Grade: C

July 29th, 2019:

Mets trade Jason Vargas to the Phillies for Austin Bossart.

It was almost a guarantee that the Phillies would add some sort of starting pitching at the 2019 deadline. The Phillies did just that in the form of Jason Vargas. The reasoning for not going after some of the bigger name starting pitchers on the market was simply the fact that the Phillies were more than one piece away from being a contender, and blowing up the farm for a big name starter that still wouldn’t put the team in a spot where they could contend for a championship isn’t smart. When the Phillies traded for Vargas, he had a 4.01 ERA over 19 starts, and had a 3.55 ERA over his has 10 starts. It seemed like Vargas would add some much needed stability to the Phillies rotation. Vargas started out pretty solid for the Phils. But by seasons end, he pitched to a 5.37 ERA over 11 starts. Austin Bossart, the return for Vargas, slashed .196/.303/.327 over the duration of the 2019 season in AA. Bossart is also 26, and although he is an elite defensive catcher, his offense isn’t going to cut it. Vargas didn’t really do too well for the Phils, but they also did not lose much capitol at all.

Grade: C

July 31st, 2019:

Pirates trade Corey Dickerson to the Phillies for Cash Considerations

The Phillies final trade at the 2019 deadline was also their biggest. Corey Dickerson was brought in to fill the void left when Andrew McCutchen went down with a torn ACL and missed the rest of the 2019 season. Dickerson missed some time in the first half of the season with the Pirates, but when he came over to the Phillies he slashed .293/.307/.579 with eight home runs. Dickerson really was one of the staples of the Phillies linuep throughout the later months of the year. Dickerson’s contract expired at the end of the 2019 season, and he signed a multi year deal with the division rival Miami Marlins.

Grade: A

November 20th, 2019:

Tampa Bay Rays trade Cristopher Sanchez to the Phillies for Curtis Mead

The Phillies swapped prospects with Tampa Bay right before the 40 man roster period, due to the fact that the Rays were unwilling to add Cristopher Sanchez to their 40 man, but didn’t want to lose him in the Rule 5 draft for nothing, so they send him to Philadelphia for Curtis Mead. Sanchez pitched in three different levels in 2019 for the Rays, posting a combined 2.26 ERA across the three. Most of his time was spent in AA, and he saw a couple of innings in AAA. Sanchez is a tall, strong, hard throwing right hander that could see some action in AAA this year, and depending on his performance, could be up on the big league roster at some point in the near future due to the fact that he is on the 40 man roster. The Phillies swapped Sanchez for Curtis Mead, a 19 year old infielder who spent time in the Phillies GCL league in 2019. Mead slashed .285/.351/.462 with four home runs and a .813 OPS. Mead could see some Low-A action in 2020 with the Rays.

Grade: B-

February 15th, 2020

Los Angeles Dodgers trade Kyle Garlick to the Phillies for Tyler Gilbert

Right before thee start of Spring Training, the Phillies acquired OF Kyle Garlick to provide some more outfield depth. Garlick made his MLB debut in 2019 for the Dodgers slashing .250/.321/.521 with three home runs over 48 at bats. Garlick spent most of his time in 2019 in AAA where he slashed .314/.382/.675 with a 1.057 OPS and 23 home runs in 271 at bats. Tyler Gilbert on the other hand, has yet to make his MLB debut at 26 years old. He spent the entire 2019 season in AAA where he posted a 2.83 ERA over 36 outings and 47.2 innings pitched. It’s likely that both Garlick and Gilbert see time in the majors this upcoming season. But the Phillies get a 28 year old with an extreme power bat that should be exciting to watch.

Grade: B-

December 12th, 2015:

Astros trade Vince Velazquez, Brett Oberholtzer, Harold Arauz, Mark Appel and Tom Eshelman for Ken Giles and Jonathan Arauz

In the first trade that Matt Klentak made as the General Manager of the Phillies, he sent a young elite bullpen arm to Houston in return for a bundle of prospects as well as Brett Oberholtzer. The highlights of the return were the power arm of Vince Velazquez and top 100 prospect SP Mark Appel. Mark Appel didn’t see himself throw a pitch in AAA, and retired during the 2017-2018 season. Vince Velazquez shined in his first few outing with the Phillies, including a 16 strikeout 8 inning performance, and a 7 inning one hit effort just a few starts later. It seemed like the Phillies may have struck gold with Vinny Velo, but since that debut season with the Phillies, he has been unable to find long term consistency. There is no doubt that Vince is incredibly talented, and with a recent move the bullpen, many people in the organization believe he will be able to take a step forward opposed to being in the rotation. It might have been a good idea to just not trade Giles at all, as the return hasn’t really netted anything super valuable, and the Phils could use an arm like Ken Giles right about now. Tom Eshelman also seemed like he was a vert promising young star in the Phillies system, after winning the Phillies Minor League pitcher of the year award in 2017, but after that, wasn’t able to find any real success, as he posted a 5+ ERA in 2018, and was traded to Baltimore for cash considerations during the 2019 season, where he later made his MLB debut.

Grade: D+

December 12th, 2015:

Pirates trade Charlie Morton for David Whitehead

Charlie Morton only made four starts for the Phillies during the 2016 season, but they were four solid ones. After the season Morton mentioned during an interview that he felt something click in his game with Philadelphia, and he had discovered some new found confidence. The Phillies let Morton walk after the 2016 season and he went on to have two fantastic seasons with Houston, and a phenomenal debut season with Tampa Bay. Without this trade to the Phillies, who knows where Charlie Morton’s career would be right now. As for David Whitehead, he posted a 7.62 ERA in 2016 in the minors and retired after the season.

Grade: A

February 3rd, 2016:

Phillies trade Jesse Biddle to Pittsburgh for Yoervis Medina

Jesse Biddle was the Phillies highest rated prospect for many years, and for good reason. He had the stuff, and put up the numbers to be a highly elite SP at the major league level. Unfortunately, he plateaued in AA and never really was able to mount to anything after that. He reached the MLB with Atlanta in 2019 and posted a 3.11 ERA and a 3.88 FIP as a RP, but since then, he’s been unable to keep his ERA below 5.50 while spending time with Seattle, and Texas. Yoervis Medina never appeared in a major league game for the Phillies and was out of the league the following year. This trade didn’t really do anything other than signify that Jesse Biddle was a failed top prospect for the Phillies

Grade: C (Didn’t gain or lose anything significant)

August 25th, 2016

Phillies trade Carlos Ruiz to the Dodgers for A.J. Ellis and Tommy Bergjans

When the Phillies traded Carlos Ruiz to the Dodgers at the waiver trade deadline, they traded away a beloved player in the city. A player that no one wanted to say goodbye to, but it had to be done. Ruiz was slashing .261/.368/.352 when the Phillies shipped him to LAD. They received veteran catcher AJ Ellis who spent the rest of that season with Philadelphia before walking away via FA at the seasons end. Ellis only made 35 ABs for the Phillies and he posted an .871 OPS as well as one HR. Tommy Bergjans posted a 7.20 ERA for the LV Iron Pigs in 2016, and a 3.57 ERA over three different levels in 2017. He signed with the Reds on a MILB deal after the 2017 season and spent some time with the three separate Reds affiliates in 2018. Bergjans has never pitched at any level since. The best thing about this trade, was the Phillies being able to dump an aging player with high salary in Ruiz.

Grade: C

November 4th, 2016:

Astros trade Pat Neshek to the Phllies for Cash Considerations or PTBNL

After losing David Hernandez and Charlie Morton in Free Agency, the Phillies needed another veteran presence on the pitching staff. When the Phillies added Neshek to the bullpen, they were adding a true veteran, who also has had an overwhelming amount of success throughout his career. When Neshek came over to Philadelphia, he had the best season of his career. He had a 1.12 ERA as well as a 1.94 FIP, when he was flipped to Colorado later that season at the deadline. As for the return, the Phillies didn’t even give up a player, just cash considerations.

Grade: A

November 11th, 2016:

Dodgers trade Howie Kendrick to Philadelphia for Darin Ruf and Darnell Sweeney

About 2 or 3 years prior to this trade, Darin Ruf was viewed as a super talented prospect, that would be apart of the future for the Phillies. Obviously that was not the case however, although Ruf impressed in streaks with the Phillies, he never was consistent enough to sustain any long term success. Howie Kendrick slashed .340/.397/.454 over 141 ABs. Kendrick battled injuries during his half season with the Phillies until being shipped to Washington later in the season, but when he was healthy, he was very good. Had Howie never been hurt throughout the 2017 season, there is a very real chance he would still be on the roster today. Ruf never made an appearance for the Dodgers, and Sweeney didn’t as well. Darnell Sweeney had 4 ABs for Toronto in 2018, but has never been back to the majors since.

Grade: B

December 20th, 2016:

Red Sox trade Clay Bucholtz to the Phillies for Josh Tobias

When the Phillies brought in Clay Buchholtz they were hoping for some rotation stability at the back end of the rotation. Instead, he suffered a season ending injury in his second start of the season and never pitched for the Phillies again. He signed with Arizona the following offseason and posted a 2.01 ERA and a 3.47 FIP over 98.1 IP, but after his successful 2018 season, he didn’t do much else. He posted a 6.56 ERA for Toronto in 2019, and signed a minor league deal with Cleveland this offseason. As for Josh Tobias, when he arrived into the Boston farm system, he was ranked as the organizations 26th best propsect, and posted an .817 OPS over three minor league levels. Since then, hes struggled to put up much productivity above the AA level. He’s 26 now, and still plays in the Red Sox organization, making it as far as AAA, and putting up average numbers at best

Grade: D+

April 22nd, 2017:

Toronto trades Ty Kelly to Philadelphia for cash considerations

When the Phillies made a mid season trade for Ty Kelly, they were hoping to see some more productivity out of the bench. At the time, the Phillies were last in just about every bench statistic. Ty Kelly didn’t really change this that much. Kelly slashed .193/.260/.341 with two HRs for the Phillies during the 2017 season, and he is most remembered by Phillies fans for his walk off single vs Atlanta to give the Phillies the come from behind victory. At the conclusion of the 2017 season, Ty Kelly walked via Free Agency and signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets.

Grade: C (didn’t lose or gain much)

July 26th, 2017:

Phillies trade Pat Neshek to Colorado for JD Hammer, Jose Gomez, and Alejandro Requena

When the Phillies traded Pat Neshek at the deadline, he was one of the highest coveted RPs of the 2017 deadline. He had a 1.12 ERA at the time, and the Rockies added him to help their playoff push. Obviously the Phillies would end up signing Pat Neshek again after this season in Free Agency. The return, included two of the Rockies top 30 prospects. JD Hammer put up respectable numbers throughout the minors, which was enough for a 2019 promotion to the major leagues. Hammer posted a 3.79 ERA and a 5.11 FIP. But the organizations view changed heavily on Hammer after he was demoted from the majors, he posted a 12.64 ERA over 17 outings in AAA LV. This was enough for Hammer to DFAd when the Phillies claimed Deolis Guerra off waivers. Hammer went unclaimed, and returned to the Phillies organization, where he still is now, and still only 25. Jose Gomez was the other top 30 prospect in the Rockies organization. When he first came over to the Phillies, he debuted as the clubs 22nd prospect. In 2017, he slashed .310/.357/.401 over three levels. Since then, he fell out of the Phillies top 30 prospect list. In 2019, Gomez slashed .266/.323/.352 for the Phillies AA affiliate. He’s still only 23, and will most likely see time in AA and AAA in 2020 or 2021. As for Requena, he has put up decent numbers for the Phillies minor league affiliates. In 2017, he posted a 2.74 ERA over 21 starts. Since then, he has reached as high as AA, and posted a 4.86 ERA for the Fightins in 2019, like Gomez, Requena is still only 23. He will most likely see most of his time in AA this upcoming season. Due to the fact that the Phillies resigned Neshek not even four months after this trade, this seems like a win for the Phils.

Grade: B-

July 28th, 2017:

Phillies trade Howie Kendrick to Washington for McKenzie Mills and Cash Considerations

The Phils traded Howie less than 7 months after getting him from LAD. He was very, VERY good for the Phillies when he was out there, but when he got to WAS, he was able to stay healthy, and be super productive. Without this trade, who knows if the Nationals end up as the 2019 WS Champions. Kendrick played such a huge part in that season, and postseason run. Kendrick resigned with Washington after the 2019 season, and will remain with the World Series Champions. McKenzie Mills was a Top 30 prospect for Washington, and when he came into the Phillies organization, he debuted at 23 on the top 30 list. Mills posted a 3.22 ERA between two levels in 2017. He was later traded in a separate trade a year later. He had a 5.36 ERA in AAA for the Marlins. He is still only 24, so he has time to figure things out. He still has lots of potential, and besides for 2019, he has put up good numbers throughout the minor leagues.

Grade: C+

July 29th, 2017:

Phillies trade Jeremy Hellickson to Baltimore for Hyun Soo Kim, Garrett Cleavinger, and cash considerations

The Phillies signed Hellickson in free agency after the 2015 season. He went on to start back to back Opening Days for the club. In 2016, Hellickson posted a 3.71 ERA and a 3.98 FIP.

The Phillies were rumored to be trading him that offseason, due to his value being very high at the time, as a lot of playoff hungry teams were hoping to stabilize their rotation. The Phillies ultimately chose to keep him and shop him again at the deadline. This plan backfired as Hellickson posted a 4.73 ERA and a 5.51 FIP for the Phillies up until the deadline. They were able to net Hyun Soo Kim, who at the time was a 29 year old, sophomore season outfielder. In Kim’s rookie season he slashed .302/.382/.420 with a .801 OPS. So there was reason for optimism for Kim. Kim slashed .230/.309/.299 for the Phillies in 2017 over just under 100 ABs. The Phillies non tendered him after the 2017 season and he has not played in the majors since. Cleavinger however, was an interesting project arm for the Phillies. A kid with a super high K/9, but had command issues throughout his career. Cleavinger had a 1.36 ERA the prior year in the Orioles organization. In 2019, he spent the entire season in AA Reading, and posted a 3.66 ERA with 83 SOs over 53.1 IP. This intrigue was enough for the Phillies to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft, and add him to the 40 man roster after the 2019 season, where he still is at now. There is a real chance that Cleavinger could make his MLB debut sometime this upcoming season.

Grade: D

July 31st, 2017

Phillies trade Joaquin Benoit to Pittsburgh for Seth McGarry

The Phillies signed Benoit to a one year deal in the prior offseason, to add a veteran presence to a young bullpen that needed one. He did okay for the most part. Posting a respectable 4.07 ERA and a 3.88 FIP. The Phillies shipped him to the Pirates who were hoping to solidify their bullpen and help strengthen their playoff push. Both of those goals weren’t achieved as Benoit posted a miserable 7.56 ERA for the Pirates, and the club had a horrid second half finishing with a mere 75 wins. Seth McGarry came over the the Phillies organization sporting a 1.34 ERA for the Pirates High-A affiliate. Now 26, McGarry has reached as high as AAA for the Phillies, and was a NRI invite to big league camp this spring. He looked great this spring for the Phils, as he had a 0.00 ERA over 3 outings and only allowed a single baserunner. In 2019, McGarry posted a 4.20 ERA across High-A, AA, and AAA. He also had 71 SOs over 79 frames of work. McGarry will most likely see most of his time in AAA this upcoming season, and possibly has an outside chance of making his MLB debut sometime in the near future depending on his play in AAA.

Grade: C

September 6th, 2019:

Phillies trade Juan Nicasio to St. Louis for Eliezer Alvarez

The Phillies had claimed Nicasio off waivers from Pittsburgh around a month before trading him to St. Louis. In that time, he recorded 2 scoreless outings for the Phillies out of the bullpen. When they had claimed him, he had a 2.85 ERA over 65 outings for Pittsburgh, so the Phillies most likely claimed him with the idea of flipping him for a propsect, which they did. They received a 22 year old second baseman, Eliezer Alvarez. Alvarez only made 23 ABs for the Phillies organization, slashing .130/.286/.130. After the 2017 season, he was traded to Texas for cash considerations where he still spent 2 seasons, befoe joining Seattle’s organization last offseason.

Grade: C-

December 15th, 2017:

Phillies trade Freddy Galvis to San Diego for Enyel De Los Santos

I’ll admit, it was tough to say goodbye to Freddy Galvis. Not because he was a great player, but rather because of the person he was. Freddy always played with flare, and never didn’t have a smile on his face. Freddy was a fan favorite loved by Philly fans, but the move had to be done. The Phillies were ready to end the rebuild and sadly Freddy wasn’t apart of the team’s future. Freddy Galvis went on to slash .248/.299/.380 for San Diego in 2018. In return, the Phillies acquired SP Enyel De Los Santos. De Los Santos burst into the scene for the Phillies, posting a 2.75 ERA in the first half of the season for the AAA Iron Pigs. This was enough for him to be named the starting pitcher of the International League all star game. De Los Santos debuted as the Phillies 8th best prospect. De Los Santos made his MLB debut in 2018 as well. He recorded a 4.74 ERA and a 4.37 FIP over 19.0 IP in 2018. In 2019, De Los Santos pitched 11.0 innings for the Phillies, posting a 7.36 ERA. Obviously a very small amount of work, so there isn’t any reason for major concern, Still only 24, De Los Santos should get more opportunities to prove himself to the Phillies brass. Enyel is currently listed as the clubs number 8 prospect. To get this type of value out of Freddy Galvis is something the Phillies should be proud of.

Grade: B

Part 2 will resume with the beginning of the 2018 calendar year through present day.

As you probably know, recently the MLB and MLBPA reached an agreement on a variety of different topics regarding a delayed season. One of which, is a 29 man roster for the 2020 baseball season. So lets see what the 29 man roster could look like:

Starting Pitchers (6):

Aaron Nola, Zack Wheeler, Jake Arrieta, Zach Eflin, Nick Pivetta, Spencer Howard

Obviously the most interesting name is Spencer Howard. With a possible June/July season start date, This would give the Phillies the motive to begin the season with Spencer Howard on the big league club. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the Phillies would run a six man rotation, but rather, have Howard come out of the bullpen for the first month or so , and when/if a starter is struggling, Howard would slide into that rotation spot.

Relief Pitchers: (9)

Hector Neris, Victor Arano, Adam Morgan, Jose Alvarez, Ranger Suarez, Francisco Liriano, Vince Velasquez, Tommy Hunter, Robert Stock

This is probably where it gets the most interesting. There is so much opportunity in the Phillies bullpen. Hector Neris, Adam Morgan, and Jose Alvarez can all be considered locks. Tommy Hunter and Victor Arano also fall under that category when healthy, and with the delay, they both should be. The same can’t be said for Seranthony Dominguez, who was recommended Tommy John surgery earlier this week. Vince Velasquez figures to make the roster, whether it be the rotation or bullpen. Same goes for Ranger Suarez. Francisco Liriano is also considered a heavy favorite, and most likely would have made the original 26 man roster as well. The last spot is honestly a toss up. The Phillies have a grab bag of RPs with major league experience. Robert Stock didn’t see any Grapefruit league action due to an injury, but with the delay, he could have an inside chance over others due to the fact that he is already on the 40-man roster. Same goes with Deolis Guerra, who is out of options as well, meaning, if he doesn’t make the team, he will have to be DFA’d. If the Phillies wanted to go with more serviceable long relief options due to stockpiled games, they could look at Enyel De Los Santos or Cole Irvin. Edgar Garcia, and Reggie McClain are also on the 40-man. Names like Blake Parker, Bud Norris, Drew Storen, Anthony Swarzak, and possibly Austin Davis will be discussed as well.

Catchers (2):

J.T. Realmuto, Andrew Knapp

This one is pretty self explanatory. Things could get interesting if the Phillies decide to carry three catchers, they could bring Deivy Grullon with them, but that doesn’t seem too likely. The odds of seeing Grullon at some poin this season are strong, however.

Infielders (7):

Rhys Hoskins, Jean Segura, Scott Kingery, Didi Gregorius, Josh Harrison, Neil Walker, Logan Forsythe

Originally, the infield battle was the most interesting of them all. One of Harrison, Forsythe, and Walker weren’t going to make the roster, but now, that problem is solved as all three should be heading north. Some other infielders could be seem throughout the season, like 40-man roster member Arquimedes Gamboa, and possibly Phil Gosselin and Ronald Torreyes could make an appearance. Obviously Alec Bohm will be up sooner rather than later.

Outfielders (5):

Bryce Harper, Andrew McCutchen, Adam Haseley, Roman Quinn, Jay Bruce

McCutchen will definitely be ready for the delayed opening day after originally not being slated to be ready for March 26th. The rest of the OF is pretty self explanatory. Nick Williams and Kyle Garlick are also on the 40-man, and it was possible that Garlick would have made the 26-man roster as the 5th OF while Cutch was out. It is possible that Nick Martini is up at some point throughout the season as well.

-PhilliesUniverse (@philliesuniverse_ on Instagram)