Phillies Stay Quiet at MLB Trade Deadline

Jeremy Hellickson (Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The Philadelphia Phillies were unable to find a trade before the deadline

The Phillies were one of the teams that many analysts believed to be big time sellers before this year’s deadline. With teams calling for players such as: Vincent Velasquez, Carlos Ruiz, and Jeremy Hellickson. So when the deadline finally came, many were surprised that not one single player was moved by this organization.

This team is clearly in rebuilding mode and with a new GM in Matt Klentak, no one really knew what to expect during this hectic period. When all was said and done, Klentak spoke to the press saying, “If there was a trade to be made that made sense on both fronts, then we would have done it. Not once did I feel that the appropriate balance would be struck with the return in the trade.”

It is clear that Klentak stayed true to his word about the value the Phillies organization wanted in return for the players on their roster. Many people believed that as the deadline got closer and closer the Phillies would drop the value in attempts to make sure that they were able to work out a deal. It appears that was not the case.

Klentak and the rest of the organization did not feel that they were forced into a position to make sure a deal got done. The Phillies don’t have a lot of money that they need to get off their hands and feel that the veteran presence they have on the roster brings a certain leadership quality that is deemed invaluable and didn’t need to be pushed out on a low-ball offer.

This team has at least three prospects that will be called-up by September. Not to mention the fact that their farm system is not so good that it couldn’t use some more talent. It is understandable that Klentak felt he had to stick his foot in the ground on a young player like Velasquez, but for players like Hellickson and Ruiz who won’t be part of the Phillies future plans it seems silly to not try to get some value out of them before the deadline.