Phillies superstars who would be available during the Winter Meetings
In order to obtain some of the players who might be traded during the Winter Meetings, which players would the Phillies need to trade?
Many signings and deals happen during the Winter Meetings, which are held in Nashville, Tennessee, from December 3–6. With Aaron Nola’s re-signing earlier in November, the Philadelphia Phillies aren’t expected to be as busy at the Winter Meetings as other teams.
The Phillies’ front office has changed things up a bit at the Winter Meetings throughout the years. Consider the 1978 signing of Pete Rose or the 1974 trade of Tug McGraw to the New York Mets. Zack Wheeler, the team’s current ace, inked a contract with the Mets during the 2019 Winter Meetings. Most recently, Trea Turner, a free agent shortstop, and Philadelphia reached an agreement on an 11-year, $300 million contract during the 2022 Winter Meetings.
If Dombrowski’s remarks during the Nola re-signing are any guide, the Phillies are expected to make very little moves for the rest of the offseason and are unlikely to trade for any of these guys.
But might Philadelphia shock everyone with a blockbuster trade and make a big impression at the Winter Meetings for the second year running? In order to acquire five players who have been linked to trade rumors in the run-up to the Winter Meetings, let’s examine who the Phillies would need to deal.
While adding any of these five players to the club would be exciting for Philadelphia right now, their president of baseball operations ought to give careful thought to how much of the team’s elite prospect pool they are ready to part with.
FIRST: A star outfielder recently rumored to be on the trade block
Randy Arozarena, OF, Tampa Bay Ray
The Phillies may be trying to upgrade their outfield as Johan Rojas might begin the upcoming season back in the minor league system, according to Matt Gelb of The Athletic. A few weeks ago, trade rumors around Nick Castellanos surfaced because of his inconsistent play throughout the playoffs. The organization, however, refuted these claims, seeing him as a vital member of their team for the upcoming seasons.
In an attempt to acquire ace outfielder Randy Arozarena, the Tampa Bay Rays are open to hearing trade proposals. For Tampa Bay, one of GQ’s 2023 Men of the Year had a strong season in a few offensive categories. In 2023, he recorded new career highs in walks (80), home runs (23), and runs (95). His 22 stolen bases were 10 less than his career-high of 32, and his 83 RBI were six less than his 89 total in 2022.
After a spectacular postseason effort in 2020, he has played in the majors for three complete seasons. In 20 games played during that COVID-19 pandemic-shortened season, Arozarena scored 14 runs in the postseason. His slash line was.377/.442/.831, and he still holds the record for most home runs in a playoffs by a player with ten.
What would the Rays want to get in return for the outfielder, who is 28 years old? A great deal. Before he becomes a free agent after the 2026 season, he is still under team control for three more years. The Philadelphia 76ers are hoping to win a title inside their current championship window. Given his success in the postseason for Tampa Bay, the charismatic Arozarena would probably be a key member of a Phillies World Series-winning team.
Abel and other Phillies minor-league pitchers could be of interest to the Rays. The second-ranked prospect from Philadelphia, who was with the Reading Fightin Phils at Double-A, has a 4.14 ERA in 22 starts. With the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Triple-A, he concluded the season.
Justin Crawford was an outfielder for the Clearwater Threshers who played 69 games at Single-A. Prior to being promoted to the High-A Jersey Shore BlueClaws, he had a slash line of.344/.399/.478. The 19-year-old’s success kept up as he finished 18 games with a.288/.366/.425 line. In the 2024 season, he might receive a promotion to Double-A once more. The Rays would show interest in him as well.
Abel and other Phillies minor-league pitchers could be of interest to the Rays. The second-ranked prospect from Philadelphia, who was with the Reading Fightin Phils at Double-A, has a 4.14 ERA in 22 starts. With the Lehigh Valley IronPigs at Triple-A, he concluded the season.
Justin Crawford was an outfielder for the Clearwater Threshers who played 69 games at Single-A. Prior to being promoted to the High-A Jersey Shore BlueClaws, he had a slash line of.344/.399/.478. The 19-year-old’s success kept up as he finished 18 games with a.288/.366/.425 line. In the 2024 season, he might receive a promotion to Double-A once more. The Rays would show interest in him as well.
Due to trade rumors, Rays outfielder Manuel Margot might also be wearing a different uniform before the next season begins. Would Johan Rojas be of interest to Tampa Bay? When Rojas joined the Phillies in mid-July of last season, he made an immediate impact on defense for the team.
But with a slash line of.093/.114/.163 in the postseason, Rojas was a terrible hitter. The 23-year-old might start with the IronPigs in 2024 in order to hone his offensive skills rather than guaranteeing a spot with the Phillies.
Another young outfielder who has shown promise with Philadelphia since joining the team at the 2022 Trade Deadline is Brandon Marsh, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels. With a slash line of.277/.372/.458 the previous season, he demonstrated his offensive ability in addition to being a fine defensive player. During the 2023 playoffs, he posted a.342/.405/.526 line in 38 at-bats. For a player of Arozarena’s caliber, the availability of Rojas or the youthful, dynamic outfielder would be brought up.
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