The Philadelphia Phillies are set up to be buyers at the trade deadline after a 36-23 start to the year. The National League East looks tight, and the Phillies will need to address their flaws.
One of the Phillies’ strongest groups is their starting rotation. Recently, Mick Abel made his debut and threw six scoreless innings before being sent back to Triple-A. The Phillies’ rotation features Zack Wheeler, Jesús Luzardo, Cristopher Sánchez, Ranger Suárez, Taijuan Walker and Aaron Nola when completely healthy.
While Abel stood out in his debut, there is not currently a spot for him in the regular rotation. FanSided’s Christopher Kline tabbed him as a trade chip as the Phillies look for bullpen arms and outfield help.
“The thing is, 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,” wrote Kline. “There’s too much depth for Abel to break though, and stuffing him in a bullpen role does not feel conducive to his development, even if it’d help the Phillies address a weakness in the short term.
“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. Odds are Philly can afford to part with Abel and still hold together a functional rotation for 162 games.”
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The Phillies need a consistent outfield bat and potentially an elite closer as well. They lost Jose Alvarado to a PED suspension that renders him ineligible for the postseason. The New York Mets are the Phillies’ biggest threat in the NL East, and adding help at the deadline in exchange for Abel should be on the table.
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