The Philadelphia Phillies are sitting pretty at 36-23, setting themselves up as buyers heading into the trade deadline. But with the NL East looking tight, they’ll need to shore up some areas if they want to stay ahead of the pack.
Here’s the thing about the Phillies – their starting rotation is absolutely loaded. Mick Abel just made his debut and threw six scoreless innings before getting sent back to Triple-A. When everyone’s healthy, they’re rolling with Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Taijuan Walker, and Aaron Nola.
That’s where it gets interesting for Abel. Despite his impressive debut, there’s simply no room in the rotation right now. FanSided’s Christopher Kline identified Abel as a potential trade chip as Philadelphia looks for bullpen arms and outfield help.
“Philadelphia already has five All-Stars in the rotation — plus $72 million Taijuan Walker stuck in the bullpen and No. 5 overall prospect Andrew Painter blazing through his rehab in Lehigh Valley,” Kline wrote. “There’s too much depth for Abel to break though, and stuffing him in a bullpen role does not feel conducive to his development.”
It’s a good problem to have, but it creates some tough decisions.
Kline continued: “This isn’t to say the Phillies should trade Abel just to trade him — ‘too much’ starting pitching is a good problem to have — but if the right target comes up on the radar, whether it’s an elite-tier closer or a major outfield bat, the Phillies should at least consider it.”
And that’s exactly what they need. The Phillies are looking for a consistent outfield bat and potentially an elite closer. They took a hit when Jose Alvarado got suspended for PEDs, making him ineligible for the postseason.
With the New York Mets breathing down their necks in the NL East, making a move that involves Abel for the right piece could be the difference maker. Sometimes you’ve got to give up talent to get talent, and the Phillies seem to have enough rotation depth to make that type of deal work.
