The Phillies are coming off a dreadful weekend, dealt a three-game sweep at the hands of the non-competitive Cubs. That dropped Philadelphia to 49-46, a game behind the Cardinals for the final Wild Card spot in the National League. Having outscored opponents by 44 runs and with a firm win-now mentality, there’s no question the Phillies are nevertheless going to be motivated to upgrade the roster over the coming eight days in an effort to snap their decade-long playoff drought.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski addressed the team’s deadline outlook this evening, implying the club will look to add to the starting rotation (link via Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer). That seems directly tied to the health (or lack thereof) of right-hander Zach Eflin, who has spent the past month on the injured list due to another right knee issue. The 28-year-old hurler remains without a clear recovery timeline, and the Phils front office head intimated that uncertainty could lead them to look for back-end help. “I’d love for him to come back, but I don’t know when,” Dombrowski said of Eflin. “So I don’t think, from my perspective, that I can just say we’re going to wait for that to happen. I don’t think we can just sit here and wait to see what takes place.”
The Phillies landed one of the trade market’s top starters last summer, sending a prospect package centering on Spencer Howard to the Rangers for Kyle Gibson (and reliever Ian Kennedy). This year’s market features a trio of high-profile arms who, like Gibson at the time, come with a season and a half of remaining club control: Luis Castillo, Frankie Montas and Tyler Mahle. Given the organization’s urgency to compete after a series of underwhelming seasons and Dombrowski’s reputation for bold action, one could imagine the Phillies being in the market for that top trio. Dombrowski, however, suggested the Phils were reluctant to deal from the top of their farm system this summer.
“Every position there’s premium guys out there, and then there’s other guys that could be helpful,” he said (via Lauber). “Well, the premium guys are probably going to cost you your top prospects. I don’t think, as an organization, we’re in that position right now. I just don’t think we’re there.” The Phils had four players — right-handers Andrew Painter, Mick Abel and Griff McGarry and catcher Logan O’Hoppe — on Baseball America’s most recent Top 100 prospects update. Painter was the only member of that group to check in among the top 50.
For any team to land Castillo, Montas or Mahle, they’ll certainly have to deal at least one player from the upper tier of their system. Dombrowski’s comments would seem to suggest the Phils could look towards the market for back-end starters and/or pitchers who are impending free agents, but as MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald explored last week, a good chunk of that group has either slumped lately or comes with some questions about their availability in trade. Dombrowski suggested the asking price even for role players has remained high in discussions with teams thus far, although he opined that selling clubs will reduce their demands as the August 2 trade deadline draws nearer.
Beyond the rotation, the Phils have had longstanding issues in center field and in the bullpen. As Matt Gelb of the Athletic explores in greater detail, the roster spots of Odúbel Herrera and/or Jeurys Familia could be in jeopardy if the Phils can find upgrades at those positions. Herrera, re-signed to a $1.75MM guarantee during Spring Training after the club declined a costlier team option, has hit only .240/.280/.389 through 186 plate appearances. Herrera, Matt Vierling and Mickey Moniak have all struggled again, and the Phils carried a league-worst .202/.254/.296 showing out of center field into play Monday night.
Gelb writes that the Phillies would like to add a left-handed hitter capable of playing center field, but the number of attainable players who fit that profile is limited. 26 left-handed or switch-hitters have taken at least 50 plate appearances as a center fielder this season. The vast majority all either come with extended windows of remaining club control, play for teams that are currently in the thick of the playoff race and/or are enduring dismal seasons of their own. Speculatively speaking, the Cubs’ Rafael Ortega (owner of a .232/.327/.348 line through 265 plate appearances) might offer the best blend of decent 2022 production and attainability for a minimal prospect cost.
The bullpen, meanwhile, has been a middle-of-the-pack group on the year. They’ve been excellent of late after a disappointing start, posting a 2.69 ERA through the past 30 days. Given the Phils’ longstanding relief issues, however, Dombrowski and his staff figure to explore ways to add another arm to the mix. Familia, signed to a $6MM deal over the offseason, has continued to struggle of late and owns just a 4.83 ERA/3.81 SIERA across 31 2/3 frames on the season.
Two areas the Phillies don’t seem they’ll need to address via trade are second base and the corner outfield/designated hitter. They’ve been without Jean Segura and Bryce Harper due to respective finger fractures, but both players are progressing well in their recoveries. Segura is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Lehigh Valley tomorrow, and Todd Zolecki of MLB.com writes that the second baseman is hopeful of returning to the big league roster by the time the club kicks off a homestead August 4 against the Nationals. That’d be an ahead-of-schedule return for Segura, who was projected to miss 10-12 weeks after undergoing surgery in early June.
Harper is further behind, having suffered his injury in late June, but he tells reporters he’s hopeful of getting the pins removed from his surgically-repaired thumb next week. The reigning NL MVP reiterated that he fully expects to play again this season, and Dombrowski noted (via Lauber) that Harper’s injury “is not one of those where it’s [going to be] long enough that you go out and trade for someone that’s going to take that position.” Harper had been limited to DH duty before his thumb fracture because of a partial UCL tear in his elbow that rendered him unable to throw. He acknowledged he’ll have to go through a throwing program and expressed some hope he could get back into the outfield before the end of the year. Even if Harper were to wind up limited to bat-only duties, the Phils would happily plug Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber into the corner outfield if it meant getting Harper back in the lineup for the season’s final month-plus.
Virtually every win-now executive will face some questions about the game’s highest-profile trade candidate over the next week. Yet between their glut of corner outfielders and stated reluctance to deal top-tier young talent, the Phillies would’ve made for a tough fit in the Juan Soto bidding even if the Nationals make him available to intra-division rivals. Dombrowski didn’t address Soto directly, but he more or less shot down any speculation about that possibility. Asked whether they’ll look into adding a “generational talent,” Dombrowski replied “I don’t know that we’re swimming in that market. I love star players. I always have. I have acquired a lot of them. I know [owner] John Middleton likes that. But we do have some star players. I think the problem we’ve had is the depth of talent in our organization. To strip the depth of our talent to add a generational talent, I don’t know that is where we sit at this point.“
I’m with Dave. With Eflin out, SP is the greatest need.
Sounds like a Quintana Kuhl type.
It appears it could very well end up Padres, Braves (or Metropolitans), and St. Louis (or Brew-Crew) for the three WC slots. That would leave the Phillies the odd man out.
It’s going to be between STL, PHI, and SF for the last WC spot, and recent developments show me it’s likely to be close for a while. Deadline could be the difference.
STL with the big advantage because of the division they play in. 57 games a year (35% of their schedule) vs the Reds, Cubs, and Pirates is a pretty nice boost.
Phillies have a favorable schedule as well. Played a lot of tough games up front, but the Cards is slightly easier, and although they beat the Braves tonight, Phils got swept by the Cubs right after the break. Killer. I will say though, Phillies do win the tiebreaker against Brewers and Cards.
They got a boost this weekend, alright. From the Reds’ boots
It will depend on who the Cardinals trade for. Their starting rotation is really banged up. Right now the Phillies are better. Segura will be back next week. Harper, is uncertain, but will be back ( barring a setback), most likely by late August. Mahle is the starter that D. D. should target. He is a legit, #3 man, with an extra year of control. He won’t be cheap, but none of the top pitching prospects will go.
I like the Cardinals for the division over the Brewers. Losing a series to the Reds at great American to open the second half doesn’t help
Will be an interesting team to watch. And I gather playing well this next week will determine how bold they go at deadline
Today’s de
*Today’s developments on both Segura and Stott have me feeling A LOT better about the infield.
Di Di needs to be benched when Segura returns. Stott is clearly better defensively, and is a more dangerous hitter now. Most likely Munoz is sent down, when Segura returns, but releasing Di Di, isn’t out of the question. He has no trade value.
I love the insanity of rookie years. Stott had a 37/9 K/W in his first 135 ABs. It’s an outstanding 6/11 since then, and that makes all the difference in hitting. It’s why, assuming a player has a good minor league background, you just have to hold your nose and play these guys.
Castillo should be the target. If u make the playoffs in a short series u have a shot with Wheeler, Nola, Castillo and a healthy lineup.
Except the part where no one can field the ball. Go get your SP, sure, but they need about 2-3 upgrades defensively to go anywhere in October. So many playoff games are decided by 1 run, having sloppy defense and a so-so bullpen is recipe for disaster in October.
Phillies bullpen has actually been a huge strength since early June. I think it’s better than so-so, but you’re on point about the D.
Teams will be hot and heavy over Castillo. I don’t think the Phillies will part with the few top prospects they have. They’ll probably shoot a bit lower at guys like Syndergaard or Quintana…
I’d be okay with either. Suarez is looking better lately. Gibson is serviceable. Wheeler and Nola are a solid 1-2 combo. Really a 3-4 type is what they need to replace Eflin.
Mahle is the best option, that won’t demand a top pitching prospect. The Reds need catching help. O’hoppe could be the key piece, along with a lower level prospect.
The Phillies need Kyle Gibson 2.0, basically. Someone to give you 6 decent innings, and keep it within a run or so.
Robertson and Happ from the Cubs would give them some outfield versatility and a bullpen depth arm.. it wouldn’t be super cheap, but it would be reasonable.
If Phillies will give painter for Castillo- reds shoulda done that yesterday. 2 prospects that got hosed the most in new rankings is painter and de la Cruz from reds. Both are top 20 prospects
Which is why the Phillies have come out and said no Painter (or Abel and McGarry).
I think the Phillies are just too flawed to fix at the deadline. And there is no Farm. If anything I picture them pulling a St. LOUIS Cardinal move from last year and signing two over the hill fifth starters. Perhaps Quintana and Dahl or something.
I think there is a farm, but the guys are too far away. Painter looks insane right now. Abel & McGarry look good, but need some work on their control.
Yeah, crazy to say they have no farm. They have 4 top 100 guys on some lists now, and that’s with some sneaky-good talent just missing out.
I’d say defense and bullpen should be the focus. Jose Iglesias and someone to man CF would be a good place to start. I’d move Schwarber to 1B to get Hoskins’s glove off the field, and then you’ve got room to add a bat.
Bullpen is fine. Defense is a mess, but I don’t see that being fixed easily. They need a SP and if possible a CF.
Stott will take over at ss, when ( next week), Segura returns at second. There is no need for Iglesias. As bad as Hoskins is at first, if you remember last year ( Red Sox), Schwarber was brutal at first. Vierling is quietly taking over cf, except against tough righties. Reynolds is the only cf, that would really make a big difference. He would cost more than Castillo. That isn’t happening.
There is no need for Iglesias.
===============================
Everyone needs an Iglesias. As much as some people think that guys like Soto are a big draw, and I guess they are, Iglesias is more fun to watch. I know he had a bad year with the glove for the Angels, but he was a magician with the RS last September. I’d love to have him back, and wouldn’t care where they played him.
Next person who calls them the “Trashtros” or refers to the “cheating” in any way (all teams “cheat”)- there’s going to be a problem.
Someone’s talkin’ a big game here on this here BLOG. Woo. Scaaaaaaary.
I’m an Astros fan myself and have to say…
A. The whole “trastros” thing is the easiest thing to ignore because a number of baseball fans tend bad-talk teams they don’t like, cheating or not.
B. Cheating? Yes, the Astros did cheat, got caught caught and Manfred “punished” them, and now don’t cheat. Every team cheats? Maybe, but without evidence that point is moot.
Btw, why bring this up out of the blue in a comment section for an article, neither of which have anything to do with the Astros at all?
A lot of people still blame the Astros for the Phillies not being more successful- especially in 2017.
I mean most of the biggest offenders are spread out on other teams now. It’s a bit hypocritical to boo the Astros and cheer the former Astros your team got in FA.
This dude has been randomly posting this same exact message on many of the articles I’ve been reading on here. It’s almost to the point where you start to think maybe something’s wrong with this guy, you know?
Trashtros cheated
Astros are trashcan abusers.
Lol Trashtros.
Trastros cheated
Cheating Trashtros
I’d love to see the Phillies finally make it to the post season. You can’t say they haven’t tried to get there; they just haven’t drafted well and prior to Dave’s arrival, they couldn’t build a bullpen even if you gave them $50M to do so. If they can add one more decent starting pitcher and get both Segura and Harper back, they’ll have as good of a chance to make it as do the Cardinals or the Brewers do.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…. DOROTHY MANTOOTH IS A SAINT!!
Better, I would say.
Dombrowski can’t build a bullpen either. Alvarado, Coonrod, Kintzler, Kennedy, Familia, Norwood, Knebel, Nelson, Bellati…..
Coonrod has been good, Alvarado, Kennedy, and Nelson were gotten for nothing, and for a MiLB deal Bellatti has been fine.
If they can keep the smoke and mirrors going and stay within striking distance of the 3rd wild card for a few more weeks, they get Harper back which will be better than any deadline pickup. A decent SP & a BP arm that won’t gut the farm would be nice right now and keep them afloat.
They need a CF badly. Either Ian Happ or Michael A. Taylor would be perfect.
As a Cubs fan, I can tell you that Happ is not great in CF. He’s fine in left and can play a little on the dirt as well. But as a CF’er he is lacking (defensively).
Happ is not a cf. Taylor has never hit before this year. I think D D will stick with Vierling, and use Herrera against tough righties only.
Phillies should get Hendricks, Happ, and Robertson from the cubs. Not familiar with how strong the Phillies farm system is though to know if it’s possible
Not likely. nothing really elite that it would take to aquire those 3 guys together. Rather weak farm. They do have a catcher I believe that could be of interest if they don’t want their Contreras but they’ll prolly keep him around.
Hendricks has slipped, not really worth it unless he’s the 5th starter. Happ will be heavily sought, so will have a high cost. Robertson would be a good get and is obtainable. He certainly owes the Phillies some innings. (Jk)
I think Robertson is going to end up with one of the NY teams though…
I think the Yankees will trade for Robertson. The Phillies really are pretty well set in the bullpen. Brogdon is back, and Coonrod probably by the weekend or early next week.
Are the Phillies the Angels of the NL East or are the Angels the Phillies of the AL West?
They’re the Angels if the Angels lost 10 less games.
Dave DUMBrowski
I’m thinking the Phils will land either Syndergaard or Quintana…
My vote would be Syndegard. He seems to be pitching a little better as of late and I think being back in the NL East will bring the best out of him. He’s also pitching for a long term contract next season so if he joins Philly, pitches well and helps get them to the playoffs, that will go a long way towards getting the contract he is looking for in 2023.
Trader Dave was singing the same song in Motown just before he snagged Cabrera…
The Phils are in a weird spot. They have the talent to contend but don’t have the depth or prospects to really be players at the trade deadline without gutting an already thin farm system instead looking at the margins for a bargain pick-up or two. As frustrating as it must be if I’m a Phillies fan I’d be glad to hear that Dombrowski wants to build a solid farm rather than strip down what they have to players for the big trade targets to help down the stretch this season.
The Phillies are what they are……..
A team that has thrown a lot of money at available FA’s once they realized that their rebuild had failed. Badly.
The problem is that their defense, baserunning, and lack of situational hitting costs them games. Their team Baseball IQ and playing discipline is not as bad as the White Sox, but in that ballpark. After watching a lot of their games over the past 2 years what’s appalled me is the lack of fundamental play by so many of the players – things one takes for granted at the ML level, like sliding.
It’s nice that everyone is proposing all these trades. However, they’re in the Luxury Tax and have to pull back from that as well as field a team in 2023. Consequently they have little that’s appealing to offer in trade compared to other teams looking for deadline help; meaning that short of a team willing to take Castellanos, Hoskins, or even Bohm off their hands and give them back something decent……
Probably need to hit the secondary SP market based on the farm and disinterest In trading Abel or Painter. If they pick correctly they are in terrific position to grab at least the final wild card if not the second. The offense is good and going to get better when Harper returns. I would say Quintana is the best bet. Syndergaard at Citi Field in August or Atlanta is not a good fit on paper. He likes to tweet a lot but a little short on the mental toughness to back up a return to the NL East I believe. He already ducked the Mets in Anaheim. Mahle could be a nice fit as well. Just need a good serviceable 4-5 type and a BP arm.
If the Mets grab a bat, it is (sadly) likely that Travis Jankowski gets DFAd. Would be a strong defensive pick up for the Phils if they don’t find their guy.
Mahle is the best starting pitcher for the Phillies to target. He won’t be cheap, but won’t cost a top pitching prospect, and can make a real difference ( next year also).
I really liked Dombrowski in Detroit. I think he wins a lot more trades then he loses. He doesn’t get enough credit for what he has done.
Signing D D was a really good move that the Phillies made. He knows how to build a championship team.
What has Dumbrowski done for the Phillies? Got Gibson, and that is all for trades. Schwarber is doing fine as a FA signing, but everyone else he has signed has hurt the Phillies more than helped. That includes the most overrated player in baseball Realmuto
Watch Castillo still be a Red on August 3rd. Love Krall asking so much, but that’s also why Luis is still a Red
No secret, here, they are in a hot rod and the only direction the wheel points is forward
Does Rodon and Slater interest the Phillies? Say for O’Hoppe and a lower level pitching prospect? Shore up the SP and have a capable CF option
O’Hoppe’s off limits for any of the rentals that the Phillies are likely going after.
You’re probably right, but what will it take to sweeten it up? 1-2 bullpen arms? Brebbia and Leone?
Marchan and Appel or Morales for Rodon and Brebbia is where I’d start off with. Not sold on Slater being appreciably better than Vierling, but maybe Luis Gonzalez. Throw in Ben Brown and…have Seelinger back maybe? Marchan doesn’t have the luster of O’Hoppe, but his defensive talents are no joke and I’ve seen enough of him batting in the Majors to think he can be a top-10 guy overall at the C position. Morales is near-MLB ready and SF’s coaches can hone his skills.
I agree with DarkSide. Phillies are very deep at catcher, and I wouldn’t be opposed to them trading some catching prospects, but not for rentals. Controllable assets? Sure.
Poor defensive teams generally don’t make the playoffs.
I feel like Michael A Taylor and his defense is really what the Phillies need the most. I don’t forsee Harper fielding much if at all upon his return. Why even risk it at that point if you know he can hit just fine at DH?
From the pitching side of things, someone like Madison Baumgarner makes a ton of sense if they are willing to absorb some of that contract. He would be a excellent fit for this team tbh.
Then just take a flier on a defensive minded SS and a high upside, under the radar bullpen piece and there’s your deadline.
I see a lot of people still referring to the farm being as weak as it used to be. I honestly think it’s improving a lot. They have four top 100 prospects
With Crawford on board that could possibly mean five. The key is not to deplete that at this point. It’s not a strength yet but it’s moving in that direction.
I’m surprised Snell isn’t on their radar. Padres want to relieve some cap space and the Phillies want a SP. Padres surely can’t ask for that much considering their adamant to not pay the luxury tax. Or are the Phillies strapped for cap space too?
The Phillies are in the Luxury Tax and need to get out of it by 2023. Snell is owed $16m in 2023.
Let’s be Talk Show hosts and talk nonsense for a bit.
Padres send Snell to Phillies, Phillies send Padres a whatever prospect, Phillies and Padres then send a few more whatever prospects to a rebuilding team to eat some of Snell’s salary this year and next year.
Snell to Phillies
Philly Prospects to Padres
Philly+Padres prospects to struggling team to eat some of Snell’s salary this year and next year
DuzScase;
Like talk show hosts, I don’t think you get it…….
The Phillies need to get under the Luxury Tax. When they do, they’ll need to play young, cheap players that can produce some for them starting in 2023. You’re proposing they trade some of those young prospects to get Snell. That’s exactly what they cannot do. They have to get younger. They have to bring their payroll down.
They need to find a rental pitcher making under $10m this year for 2 months.
Phillies fans would have a difficult time rooting for the guy who took out Harper. I know Harper and Snell are friends and no intent was there, but that would still be awkward. Hitting Harper aside, I don’t really think Snell has it anymore. Wildly inconsistent.
Erik Miller should be in the BP and Familia traded, DFA’d or sent down to AAA unless he’s out of options..
CF of future, Starter, Reliever.
Austin Slater? Carlos Rodon? John Brebbia?
New GM to start
Should contact the Cubs and see what they will part with…
Maybe the Cubs can pull another Jenkins or Sandberg type of trade…
To the tune of The Farmer in the Dell
Everybody!
The trader known as Dave
The trader known as Dave
Hi-ho the farm it goes
The trader known as Dave
When he says they “are not there” in terms of moving top prospects to go all in this year, he’s basically touting the company line. We know damn well he’d love to go after one of the top guys available. But if I was a player on that team, that would send a signal that he doesn’t believe they are ready to win now. But if not now, when? This is a team that should be going for it. Harper & Realmoto aren’t getting any younger. But that rotation needs help. To get that help means trading a top prospect (or two). If they’re not willing to do that then they have very little chance at making the postseason IMO.
You must have loved that trade the White Sox made at the deadline last year to get Kimbrell.
The Phillies also Schwarber to wake up. He’s always been streaky, but he has a 22/3 K/W in his past 14 games. He has 3 HRs, which is fine, but his lack of hits and walks means he also has only 4 runs and 4 RBIs in 14 games.
I just think that’s who Schwarber is. I think 2021 was a bit of a fluke.
@JoeBrady; agreed, he is streaky. Better to be “off” now than later. Do not see him as a concern with teams opportunity to progress forwardly. Side note: Harper back and sooner than later? Huge if true!
The team was built without defense as a focal point. They can add all the pitchers and hitters they want, but unless someone can field the ball it makes no difference.
This is the common thread amongst fans who don’t actually watch the Phillies. And to be fair, the defense is a mess and it has cost them games. So you’re not wrong, but I think people are exaggerating the defensive woes, and not looking at other issues. For example, the offense has struggled. There’s this idea that the Phillies are bashing their way to victory, but quite frankly, that isn’t the case. It’s the starting pitching and bullpen that have been the keys to success. Fixing the defense would be fantastic, but getting Segura back goes a long way to fixing the IF. They absolutely need another SP now that Eflin is likely out for the year. Veirling plays a nice CF. You’re stuck with Schwarber and Castellanos at the corners, especially if Harper is regulated to DH when he comes back.
TL;DR The defense isn’t a simple fix. The pitching, which has been a strength, needs depth because of injury. That should be the primary goal as it’s easier to resolve.
If last night is any indication of what the Phils need, it’s a 1st baseman. Hoskins was downright embarrassing. Flubbed a routine ground ball. Was totally mis-positioned on the routine grounder to 3rd that he botched which led to two runs.And the pop up that he dropped. Lucky for him all of those miscues were erased with Stott’s homer.He must have pictures of Dombrowski or something for him to still be on this team. Josh Bell should be their priority.
@Joeyg2033 Hoskins does this on occasion. He’s a bad fielder, but goes on streaks where he looks decent and then has nightmare nights like last night. Honestly, if he were on another team it wouldn’t be as noticeable. He’d simply be the slugger with sub-par defense. Every team has one. The problem is the Phillies have sub-par fielders in the majority of positions.
To Hoskins’ credit, he’s been one of the best offensive producers on the team, but on a team that’s not great defensively, he’s a bad fit. Still, they can’t trade him if they hope to compete this year. His bat is needed.I wouldn’t be opposed to it based on the return, but to me, that’s more of a retool/rebuild type of move.
Josh Bell is an atrocious fielder, worse than Hoskins. If you are looking for a 1B defensive upgrade, it’s Christian Walker.
They’re not giving up Painter for anyone. He should honestly be higher on the top 100 prospect list than he is. He’s been virtually untouchable.
Best wishes to Philly. Hope you find that 4/5.
At the risk of getting my head handed to me on a platter here by fellow posters, Greinke is the best 4/5 option out there.
He’s relatively healthy (16 starts), decent era when ya throw out 4 lousy road games, experienced pressure pitcher, desperately wants to add “WS Champ” to his HOF resume, ideal “rental” candidate in terms of KC contract terms.
Because of all the above and also his relationship with KC, he can be choosy as to who he goes to. I’m thinking unfortunately for Philly, they’re not on the “short list”.
One more thing. As long as he stays healthy and contributes, I see him in the league for years to come. Always signing one yr deals with KC. If KC is having a competitive yr, Zach stays the yr. If not, he’s that rental for a WS competitor.
Unfortunately Greinke doesn’t want to be traded.
@Kruk’s Left Nut; yep, I’ve read those stories too. Not buying it. Ploys by KC to get the best deal possible. Greinke will definitely go too. He wants a WS ring. Agree to disagree?
So from what I am reading Phillies GM does not want to use a top prospect on a premium SP. He wants to go with a middle of the road cheaper get SP to get them to and through the playoffs? Good luck with that.
They have their premium SPs already they don’t need another one.
I would have to think that premium SP’s is a stretch – Wheeler is truly great, Nola typically pitches just well enough to lose and Suarez is just hard to define.
Why trade half your 2025/2026 rotation now? The Phillies with Castillo (for example) are still a lower-tier playoff team. Why burn your future?