The Philadelphia Phillies enter the final week leading up to the MLB trade deadline as one of the few teams with a clear strategy. Owners of the best record in baseball, the Phillies want to make a few moves to bolster their roster and leave no empty holes as the playoffs hang around the corner.
Philadelphia is expected to target an outfield bat and possibly a bullpen arm or two. They've been rumored to be interested in several intriguing players, including Luis Robert Jr., Randy Arozarena and Tanner Scott. The Phillies will have to cough up some high-level prospects to acquire those names.
As much as the Phillies are all-in this season on winning a championship, the front office is still looking at the future and deciding which prospects they want to deem untouchable before the July 30 deadline. It is widely speculated that Philadelphia wants to hang onto its top three prospects Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller and Justin Crawford, all three of which land in the top 60 of MLB Pipeline's top 100 prospects.
Even if that's the case, Philadelphia has a few other minor-league players that teams might be interested in. The Phillies could package a few for a blockbuster or try to sell high on prospects having breakout campaigns to make one-for-one deals. Regardless, the Phillies are undoubtedly working the phones trying to strike an impactful trade in the next eight days.
Phillies shop struggling flamethrower Mick Abel
A year ago, Abel was mowing down hitters in Double-A and looked destined to debut in the big leagues in 2024. It would take a minor miracle for that still to happen during the final two months of the season given the way Abel's year has gone.
The Phillies' fifth-ranked prospect and 92nd overall in baseball according to MLB Pipeline, the right-handed Abel has an ERA approaching 7 in 15 starts with Triple-A Lehigh Valley this season. His 6.88 ERA is on account of allowing more than three runs in seven outings and posting only two quality starts. Opponents are hitting .280 off him.
Command has consistently been an issue for Abel and it's coming to a head in 2024. He's walked 53 batters, only 12 less than he did in 23 starts last season. His walks per nine innings this year (7.01) is a dramatic increase from 2023 (5.16) and 2022 (4.15). Abel's strikeout numbers are way down from prior seasons too, a sign the lanky prospect isn’t right.
The Phillies have tried different strategies, including adding extra rest days between starts, but Abel seems to have hit a rut. Still, he has good potential to be a solid major league starter if he can nestle in his control.
Philadelphia is exhausting what they can to try and figure him out, but maybe it's time to give another team a chance. The Phillies can sell his plus-arm and projectable frame and try to use Abel as an additional piece in a trade. It might be hard for them to sell another team on him being the prize of the package. Mick Abel turns 23 in August.
Teams already scouting Eduardo Tait's potential?
Not every day does a 17-year-old prospect get mentioned as the centerpiece of a trade return, but Phillies catching prospect Eduardo Tait is an exception. Currently, in his second season as a pro, Tait is lighting up the lower levels of the minors and turning heads within the Phillies organization – and elsewhere across Major League Baseball.
Tait has an .877 OPS with 20 extra-base hits and 49 RBIs in 51 Florida Complex League games this year. He impressed upon his United States debut in May and has only improved each month.
Tait's July has been nothing short of spectacular as the 17-year-old has a .438/.444/.583 slash line in 14 July games. That comes off the back of a monstrous June in which he posted a 1.012 OPS.
The left-handed hitting catcher makes hard contact and projects well power-wise as he grows into his body. Few backstops emerge as hit-first archetypes but Tait's bat-to-ball skills are already above-average and he possesses the potential to be a top-three option in a lineup.
Tait has a strong arm behind the plate and has utilized it well through nearly 100 minor-league games. He still needs a few years to develop but there is a ton to like about Tait's future. His age-21 season isn’t until 2027, an absurd thing to think about as teenage prospects continue to emerge across the minors.
If the Phillies make those aforementioned top prospects unavailable, Tait is a top-five option in Philadelphia's farm system as their eighth-ranked prospect. Maybe that's not enough to land an All-Star on his own, but Tait packaged with another top-15 prospect could net the Phillies a Cody Bellinger or Brent Rooker.
Elite catching prospects are hard to come by and Eduardo Tait might be heading toward that label. The Phillies can capitalize on his increasing value but it wouldn’t be the worst thing if they hung onto him. The organization sees a lot of Carlos Ruiz in the fellow Panamanian.
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