It’s a crucial season for the Philadelphia Phillies, and that will make them fascinating to watch at the trade deadline.
The Phillies are painfully aware that their championship window could be slowly starting to close. They have several high-profile free agents hitting the market next winter, and most of their core is made up of players over the age of 30.
Philadelphia already made one trade to upgrade its rotation this winter, nabbing Jesús Luzardo from the Miami Marlins. Their rotation looks like one of the strongest in baseball, but more upgrades definitely can’t be ruled out.
The Toronto Blue Jays could be one of the league’s most high-profile sellers if they fall out of the playoff race, and they’ve got a starting pitcher who should interest the Phillies and many other contenders: two-time All-Star Kevin Gausman.
On Saturday, Athlon’s Mike Ostrowski proposed a hypothetical trade that would bring Gausman to Philadelphia in exchange for pitching prospect Mick Abel, catching prospect Alirio Ferrebus, and utility infielder Kody Clemens.
“Gausman is under contract through next year, perfectly fitting Philly’s contending window. Adding another arm to the rotation would also allow them to move Ranger Suárez back to the bullpen, preserving his health and giving him a chance to return to his 2021 dominance,” Ostrowski wrote.
“Gausman would take a haul for any team to get, but the Phils may have the pieces to get it done. They were willing to deal a pair of Top-30 prospects for Jesús Luzardo in the offseason, and a similar offer here could work.”
Though the 34-year-old Gausman wasn’t great on the whole in 2024, he still managed to make 31 starts and post a 3.83 ERA. He had received Cy Young votes in each of the three previous seasons, and he’s off to a strong start this year with a win in his season debut on Friday night.
Gausman’s $110 million contract pays him $23 million in each of the next two seasons, and while every dollar added to the Phillies’ payroll these days is essentially doubled with the luxury tax, this team is so deep in win-now mode that the expenditure may be worthwhile.