The Phillies may be contemplating changes to their lineup composition as the trade deadline approaches. The possibility of trading Brandon Marsh to acquire an impact bat is being considered. The Phillies could be one of those contenders entering late July coveting an impact bat.
Marsh’s Trade Potential
Despite his improvements, Brandon Marsh might not be the typical trade candidate contenders seek. Marsh is set to become a free agent after next season. If trading him could lead to acquiring a hitter who better fits the Phillies’ circumstances, Dave Dombrowski might consider it. His formula is clearly flawed as far as lineup composition goes.
A team such as the Rays might have interest in Marsh. They have a need in the outfield, a tight budget, and an affinity for non-rental players who are on the upswing. If the Rays were willing to trade prospects that the Phillies could then flip to a seller for an impact bat, that could make some sense.
Potential Trade Targets
Mike Trout and Byron Buxton are potential trade targets for the Phillies. They are a couple of hot-hitting righthanded bats who will surely be on a lot of teams’ radars. I would expect the Phillies to be one of those teams.
Marsh’s Future Value
Marsh’s value will depend a lot on what happens over the next month-plus. Marsh, 28, will be a free agent after next season.
- Marsh was hitting .353 with an .893 OPS on May 10.
- Going into Wednesday’s game, those numbers were down to .326 and .836.
- He has had a 12-for-48 skid in which he has struck out 14 times with just two walks.
Marsh has come back to earth a bit over the last couple of weeks.
The Phillies could claim a win in the trade that saw them ship catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe to the Angels for Marsh in 2022. But are the Phillies really going to be in a position to pay Marsh what the market will bear, especially if Marsh kicks it up another gear?