Phillies Trade Rumors: Latest Info on Players Who Might Be Dealt

The Philadelphia Phillies have lost eight games in a row. They have slipped to 11.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. There’s no question, then, they should be in selling mode.

Teams around the majors still in contention have begun to inquire about the availability of a few Phillies players, since there are still several talented players throughout the roster that can help some good teams get over the hump and make a serious postseason push.

Here’s the latest on those players who Philly might consider dealing before the deadline.

 

Cliff Lee Is Coveted

Per Jon Heyman of CBS Sports, Cliff Lee is on the wish list of a few contenders, but the Boston Red Sox may be at the front of the pack. He’s owed $70 million through 2015, which includes a $12.5 million buyout for 2016.

It is clear to see why teams fancy Lee. He’s 10-4 this season with an ERA of 3.05. He’s pitched over 200 innings each of the last three seasons and is on pace to equal that again this season.

Perhaps more appealing is Lee’s stellar work in the postseason. Even with an uncharacteristically bad postseason showing in 2011, Lee is still 7-3 with an ERA of 2.52 in the second season.

These qualities may even have the Phillies considering holding on to Lee for another run next year. MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki tweeted:

With information flying in all directions, it’s anyone’s guess what happens with Lee at this point. But one thing is for sure: if Lee does get moved, Philadelphia would like see a huge return.

 

Michael Young’s No-Trade Clause Is a Major Hurdle

Even if the Phillies desperately wanted to move Young, his no-trade clause is an issue. Per Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and Joel Sherman of the New York Post, Young is only willing to go back to the Texas Rangers or possibly to the Boston Red Sox.

That significantly handicaps the Phillies in a deal, thus it seems unlikely Young moves on—unless he has a change of heart.

The veteran infielder is having another steady season at the plate, and without many quality third basemen available, Young’s situation is going to be a key storyline through Wednesday.

 

Kevin Frandsen Drawing Interest

The Kansas City Royals have won six in a row, and that surge may have them thinking wild card. Danny Knobler of CBS Sports reports that the Royals may have some interest in Frandsen to play second base.

He’s hitting .280 with three home runs in 118 at-bats this season.

The Royals are now at .500, and while a run at the wild card still seems a bit of a long shot, Frandsen could be an upgrade at second over Chris Getz who is hitting .209 this season.

 

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Ryan Howard: Injury and Upset Loss Are Phillies’ Defining Events

Ryan Howard and the Philadelphia Phillies came crashing to earth simultaneously. What do Phillies’ fans worry about more? Is it Howard’s health, or the fact that one of the most talented teams assembled in 20 years, just got eliminated by a Cardinals team that qualified on the last day of the season?

This is a dark day in the city of brotherly love, I hope the Eagles win for the sake of Philadelphians. Right now, the Howard injury is being classified as an Achilles, but no detailed information will be available until the MRI results have returned.

If Howard is lost or hampered moving into next season, it will cast a dark cloud over 2012. It will serve as a constant reminder to this year’s monumental failure.

Phillies’ brass and fans have to be asking themselves how this happened. The starting rotation didn’t fall apart in the NLDS, it was just matched pitch for pitch and the Phillies hitters blinked first.

The Phillies scored only 21 runs in the five game series and 11 of those came in Game 1. If you take that offensive outburst out of the equation, the mighty Phillies bats were held to just under three runs per game for Games 2 thru 5. It is asking a lot of any pitching staff to win in those circumstances.

The Phillies must proceed with caution. The last thing they want to do here is to allow this to become the beginning of an era for the team.

Compound events like these can lead to a downward spiral of underachievement and just plain bad luck. Fortunately, the Phillies have a cash surplus and a owner that has shown he isn’t afraid to use it.

 

Adding high character, drama and slump deflecting players would be an excellent strategy. Lets face it, this is an ultra talented team that fell short in 2011. On paper, they should be back for the next two or three years.

Then again, on paper, they should have faced the Yankees or even the Redsox in the World Series. But none of the three have a pastime pulse right now. Baseball contention is so fragile and uncertain, much like the status of Howard’s Achilles.

 

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