The Philadelphia Phillies are currently sitting at three games under .500. It is still early but there are already rumblings that the Phillies might be looking to sell at the trade deadline. The Phillies do have quite a few players that some contenders might be interested in. Right now, it might be early to say the Phillies are done for the year but it is never too early to start sorting out the trade market.
If, and right now this is a big if, the Phillies do decide to become sellers one player that could garner quite a bit of interest is closer Jonathan Papelbon. Papelbon is signed through 2015 after signing a 4-year, $50 million contract prior to last season. He also has a vesting option for 2016 based upon games finished. However, if the Phillies fall out of contention they would be wise to try to find a taker for their closer.
Papelbon has been one of the best closers in baseball since taking over the role with the Boston Red Sox in 2006 and has accumulated 261 saves in his nine-year career. The Phillies should be able to get a couple of decent prospects in return for Papelbon if they decided to move him. However, Papelbon does have a no-trade clause and one team that is in desperate need of bullpen help, the Detroit Tigers, is on Papelbon’s list of teams he can’t be traded to. It might take some convincing to get him to waive it but Papelbon might excel in Detroit and help pitch them to a World Series win.
Papelbon isn’t the only Phillies player with a no-trade clause that might be interesting to teams. Jimmy Rollins has a full no-trade clause but could consider waiving it given the right circumstance. The Red Sox are exceeding the low expectations placed upon them this year and could be in contention come July. They did inquire about Cliff Lee over the Winter Meetings but talks went nowhere. Right now, John Lackey is proving to be unreliable due to continued health issues and shortstop Stephen Drew, an impending free agent, has also had health issues.
The Red Sox do have a potential future star in shortstop Xander Bogaerts but he might be a year or two away. A potential trade of Rollins and Lee might have to involve Bogaerts but perhaps the Phillies would be willing to take on lesser prospects for the financial flexibility moving forward like the Red Sox did last year with their trade of Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Phillies have backed themselves into a corner in recent years depleting a farm system of value to acquire veterans and have given out huge contracts to players like Ryan Howard, Roy Halladay, Papelbon, Rollins, Lee and Chase Utley.
With veterans struggling and no help coming from the farm system the suture doesn’t look very bright in Philadelphia. That can change with a couple of astute trades and if the season keeps going the way it has those trades might need to happen sooner rather than later.
