The Philadelphia Phillies are right on the New York Mets heels in the National League East, trailing in the division by 1 1/2 games. They have struggled a little bit as of late, however.
The team is 3-7 in its last 10 games, and they are going to have some needs to address at the trade deadline.
Jose Alvarado was handed an 80-game PED suspension, and he is now ineligible to pitch in the postseason for Philadelphia. So, they could use a left-handed reliever.
Brad Wakai of Sports Illustrated listed three left-handed relievers the Phillies could target, and one of them was Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Mason Montgomery.
“The 24-year-old former sixth-round pick of the Tampa Bay Rays might not look like he’s having a great season when it comes to the 4.87 ERA he has in his first full campaign in The Show, but his Stuff+ is the best among all lefties in baseball with a rating of 129,” Wakai wrote.
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The Phillies might have to cough up a good deal of prospects to get this deal done, as the Rays are incredibly high on Montgomery.
However, they do have the prospect capital to pull off a deal such as this. Without Alvarado, the Phillies need somebody to fill the left-handed relief role.
Tampa Bay drafted Montgomery in the 39th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball Draft out of Leander High School in Lubbock, Texas. He made his MLB debut last season, pitching in nine games and posting a 1.86 ERA.
2025 obviously hasn’t been kind to him, but perhaps a change of scenery could help him, especially with the Phillies gunning for a spot in the postseason this fall.
It will be interesting to see if the Phillies can get their hands on him.
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