Former Phillies Favorite Given High Chance of Trade This Season

A former Philadelphia Phillies fan favorite looks likely to be traded before the MLB trade deadline.

Jun 28, 2024; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Zach Eflin (24) throws a pitch against the Washington Nationals in the third inning at Tropicana Field. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Most Philadelphia Phillies fans will remember starting pitcher Zach Eflin. He was a fan favorite for many years and had a successful tenure with the franchise.

However, he left after the 2022 season and has been playing with the Tampa Bay Rays.

With the MLB trade deadline just a few weeks away, Eflin is a name that is starting to attract some interest on the market. It seems that there is a chance that Rays will move on from him.

At 30 years old, Eflin could offer many teams an upgrade for their rotation at a good price.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post took a look at the chances that Eflin will be traded. He believes that there is a high chance of that happening.

Looking around the league, there are a few teams that could make sense for Eflin. One of them is the AL East rival Baltimore Orioles. The Houston Astros could be another potential destination.

Those are just a couple of the teams that could use some starting pitching help. There are many other teams that could take a look at acquiring him from Tampa Bay.

During the 2024 MLB season thus far, Eflin has started 16 games for the Rays. He has compiled a 5-5 record to go along with a 4.19 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, a 9.0 K/BB ratio, and has pitched 92.1 innings.

Those numbers show why teams would have interest in him. He's not an elite starter overall, but he could be an elite option on the back end of the rotation.

Another major positive for a team that acquires Eflin is the fact that he has another year left on his deal after 2024. Whoever trades for him will be acquiring a player for next season's rotation as well.

Needless to say, Eflin is going to be a name to keep a close eye on. The former Phillies' fan favorite seems to be trending towards being on a new team by the end of the month.

Expect to hear a lot of rumors come out about teams searching for starting pitching in the coming days. Eflin could be a relatively cheap and good fit for anyone looking to upgrade their rotation.