2025 Trade Deadline Discussion

[zambonir]

Today's Inquirer story seems a suitably overblown way to start off this particular silly season. Murphy's is the most measured; he has the Phillies paying all but $2 million of Tai's salary in that deal too.

Scott Lauber
The Phillies trade INF Aidan Miller to the Twins for RHP Jhoan Durán and OF/INF Willi Castro.

> Lochlahn March
> The Phillies trade RHP Mick Abel, RHP Jean Cabrera, and INF Aroon Escobar to the Orioles for RHP Félix Bautista.

> David Murphy
> The Phillies trade Abel and RHP Taijuan Walker to the Nationals for RHP Kyle Finnegan and OF Alex Call.

Three Phillies trades we’d like to see before the deadline

[Squire]

I would do that Twins one.

[bigegypt0417]

other than the twins deal the others all feel like the type of player the philles trade for and blows up the minute they get here.

[EDmuch]

Castro is a FA after the season.

[phillychuck]

I wouldn’t mind the Twins deal if they can sign Castro.

[zambonir]

I'm surprised, I figured Miller would be a red line for people even with stock down!

I don't think there's anything wrong with the Orioles deal per se, just take one player out, or get a player back (though I still don't think Mullins is the answer).

I personally still think the best move the Phillies could make is to somehow figure out how to accommodate a DH/1B type, i.e. Naylor or O'Hearn. That would mean moving Schwarbs to OF and/or moving on from Nick (and doing that means you are deducting offense even as you add it).

Any deal for a closer can backfire; Lauber's supposition that it means something that Duran has a better playoff track record than Classe, and that he'll help the Phillies for there years, seems flawed.

[Philsmania]

Package Abel and Crawford for something good. Sell high on both.

[bigegypt0417]

Scouts are smart enough to see the same warts in both and neither is what you would call "sell high"

constant selling of your prospects is probably not a great long-term plan.

[phillychuck]

Crawford is a red line for me...Miller is orange.

[bigegypt0417]

Agreed.

Here's the reality to me...the phillies are not a closer away from winning a ring so any investment in another old closer with decent track record feels like another bad move.

[zambonir]

Yeah, but they absolutely need another high-end bullpen arm, and they're also going to need one (or two) next year, with Romano a free agent and Alvardo still a question mark. The high prices above are due to those two closers being controlled. If they pick up another rental, price will be lower, even Abel is probably too much (unless it's just him).

I think they have as good a chance of winning or at least playing for a ring as any team in MLB. I just don't know how much higher improving bullpen or the line-up actually makes those chances Because it's still pretty random.

Improving their chances at the division or 4th seed also a legit consideration, even if our best post-season was from the 6 spot.

[andyb]

Trading a Crawford was a mistake the last time we did it.

Of course I share the doubts now, though all I want is for him to have the full year in AAA if he needs it.

To be honest, the sell high candidates are now Tait and Escobar if we are excluding Painter from the conversation. Abel can be a piece of a deal, but he is not getting us both Bautista and Mullins like Bowden suggested a few weeks ago. I'd trade Crawford before Miller I guess.

[Squire]

There are about ten (10) guys who are listed as shortstops ranked in the Top 25 of the upcoming draft. If we get one, they might have a different view about Miller's untouchability I think.

[Philsmania]

Looking at Miller's stats so far at all levels, at the plate, he looks a lot like a Dave Hollins-type but with more speed. Walks a lot but doesn't really do much else aside from being able to steal bases.

[andyb]

Hollins was not awful and Miller is 2 years younger at AA. And the speed and athleticism is important for further projection.

What they feel about Miller might depend on how they feel about Turner next year. Trea has been better defensively this season so I am guessing there will be no attempt to move him in 2026 and maybe 2027. Where Miller and Escobar fit in the infield at that point is up in the air.

[fish]

I’d trade anyone after Painter for high quality arms with multiple years of control. What I don’t want is a guy untested under pressure (like Bednar) or a guy with a homer prone pitch (Presley’s fastball) to have to relive another Estevez experience.

[BostonRoss]

I feel like we'd be selling low if we traded Miller now. Depends on the return, of course.

I would not give up much for Bednar. I'd rather have Dennis Santana from the Pirates. He's arb-eligible for one more year and a free agent after next year. Not sure he's available, but he's not particularly young (29).

[zambonir]

This is via Jim Bowden's Athletic column and still feels like a longshot. But it would be exciting to see that kind of aggression.

The Castellanos rumors just never go away, and for that reason alone, multiple GMs think there’s a chance he could get moved if Philadelphia can find a better right-field option. Castellanos, 33, is hitting .282 with 10 home runs and a 111 OPS+. He’s a well-below-average outfielder and is signed through 2026 at $20 million per year, so Philadelphia would have to pay down his contract to move him.

https://www.philliesnation.com/2025/07/philadelphia-phillies-news-mlb-trade-deadline-rumors-nick-castellanos/

MLB execs predict Alcantara, Naylor and other players most likely to be traded...

[BostonRoss]

How often has Bowden been right?

[zambonir]

He repeatedly said we were gonna sign Whit Merrifield

I don't think he's wrong, saying multiple GMs think "there's a chance" Nick could be traded isn't exactly a bold statement. We know he's always been available. But it's nice to dream that in theory this could be the moment where the Phillies don't care about the return or eating the $, if they see a way to make the team better both now and next year (which would have to involve a pretty big everyday bat in OF or DH/1B, however the pieces move around).