According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Phillies are “searching for additional relief help, even after acquiring Carlos Estévez from the Angels.”
Estévez reported to the Phillies on Monday. To make place on the roster, Michael Rucker was optioned to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Estévez will wear number 53.
As Rosenthal mentioned in his report, the cost of relief pitching is exorbitant, and the Estévez deal is proof. George Klassen and Sam Aldegheri were two of the Phillies’ top ten prospects traded away.
Monday, July 29, 9:00 a.m. ET: Phillies continue to monitor Garrett Crochet market.
Jim Salisbury of The Phillies Show podcast provided some insight into what the Phillies are doing with a few days till the trade deadline:
I don’t see Luis Robert leaving the White Sox, but I’ll tell you this: According to reports, the White Sox are still keeping an eye on Garrett Crochet’s market value. Left-handed strikeout arm, rotation candidate, but there may be innings difficulties. Could be a bullpen player. It’s certainly a long shot, but I hear they’re still monitoring the market to see where it’s heading and what might happen. Given Ranger’s situation, I believe they could still add another arm. They are still hunting for arms, however it is unclear if they will be of that quality. I would not be surprised if they made another move. Be it another offensive depth piece in the outfield. Be it another bullpen arm or a starting pitcher. I could imagine each of them being a good fit in some manner.
The crochet stuff is intriguing. Over the weekend, many sites claimed that Crochet wants to stay in the rotation because he believes it is his best chance of staying. He also seeks an extension to pitch in October as his innings limit approaches.
In any case, the Phillies cannot be written off entirely.
The Phillies could be proactive in their chase of another reliever, but they are unlikely to sell either of their two best prospects. On the night of July 25, Yahoo Sports’ Russell Dorsey reported that the Phillies are “not currently listening to offers that involve surrendering top prospects Andrew Painter or Aidan Miller.” According to Dorsey, other clubs believe the Phillies are “willing to include other prospects, such as outfielder Justin Crawford or right-hander Mick Abel.”
The Phillies traded for Seranthony Domínguez and Cristian Pache, acquiring Austin Hays the following day. The aim now shifts to acquire a reliever, though that may change significantly when Ranger Suárez was placed on the 15-day disabled list with lower back strain.
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