When a team is all-in on winning a championship, no player is truly off-limits in trade discussions.
For the Philadelphia Phillies, the 2025 season is as pressurized as any year in recent memory. There are big names hitting free agency this winter, and after three straight years of playoff disappointment, the Phillies feel this is their year to take home a title.
The Phillies were off to a hot start, but being swept by the Milwaukee Brewers this weekend put them in second place in the National League East. At some point this summer, they’ll need to make a bold trade in an attempt to separate themselves from the pack.
One baseball writer believes a young outfielder with three years of big-league experience could become a casualty.
On Sunday, Christopher Kline of FanSided named Phillies 24-year-old center fielder as a player who would be “on the trade block” this summer as Philadelphia looks to address other needs.
“Philly might be smart to test the market for Rojas now. If the swing isn’t there a year from now, or two years from now, the Phillies could be left holding the bag, metaphorically speaking,” Kline wrote.
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“Another team is bound to take a flier on Rojas’ glove, arm and quickness on the base paths. The offensive metrics are all bad, but Philly can still use his age to qualify those struggles. That excuse only lasts for so long, though.”
Rojas has a .250/.306/.340 slash line in 113 plate appearances this year. He’s got a great glove in center field and eight stolen bases, but it’s still an offense-first league.
Whether Rojas actually gets moved will depend on whether or not there’s a team out there willing to give up something of value for him. And because the Phillies have minimal leverage, that team would really have to believe that Rojas could play an important role for them quickly.
It’s great to have a standout glove in center field. But Rojas needs to show a more well-rounded profile to carve out a long-term career for himself.
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