Phillies Thanksgiving Day Rumor Roundup
To start: Happy Thanksgiving from all of the staff here at Inside the Phillies. Myself, Lauren, and all the rest of the staff truly appreciate all the support we have received from you, our readers, since our launch in September.
With that being said, let's get to our rumor roundup from the past week in case you have missed something spending time with family!
Per Jim Salisbury at NBC Sports, the Philadelphia Phillies have had "substantive talks" with reliever Mychal Givens. The reliever pitched to the tune of a 3.35 ERA with 8 saves in 10 opportunities in 2021 with the Cincinnati Reds and Colorado Rockies. He is just one of a few pitchers President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski will surely be looking at to revamp the bullpen.
The Phillies are also reportedly in on center fielder Starling Marte. He is someone that has long been linked to Philadelphia to help with their much maligned area of need. We predicted he would be a fantastic fit here and MLB Insider Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies are indeed interested.
Speaking of Heyman, he also told the Big Time Baseball Podcast that the Phillies are interested in closer Kenley Jansen. Again, if a reliever still has something in the tank, the Phils will likely have a conversation on price.
Other names are Josh Hader and Craig Kimbrel that Philadelphia could try and trade for according to Heyman. As he points out, Kimbrel might be more realistic as Hader could and should command a massive price tag in terms of prospects. The Milwaukee Brewers will not let their star player go easily.
Perhaps what could be one of the biggest splashes this winter, if it comes to fruition, is the trading of Bryan Reynolds. The center fielder is a trade target for many teams, but Jim Bowden at The Athletic reports the Phillies are "aggressively" pursuing a trade for the 2021 All-Star.
Reynolds had a breakout season in 2021 in which he hit .302/.390/.522, but considering he is just 26, the asking price from the Bucs will be sky-high. But, one could dream on an outfield built around the likes of Bryce Harper and Reynolds.
Finally, one name that has been tossed around is Oakland A's third baseman Matt Chapman. The A's are in full teardown mode and Chapman would be a great acquisition for Philadelphia as it is an area of need. The third baseman is controllable through 2023 and has won three Gold Gloves. He would come at a steep price, but he could man the Hot Corner as the Phillies try and get back to the postsea
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