Proposed Philadelphia Trade Would Move Mick Abel and More for Star

A proposed Philadelphia Phillies deal would see them go all in, trading Mick Abel.

Feb 25, 2024; Clearwater, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Mick Abel (74) throws a pitch against the New York Yankees in the sixth inning at BayCare Ballpark. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have a sizable lead in the National League East, and with more talent likely coming during the trade deadline, it's interesting to think about how good this team could truly be.

There aren't many areas that the team needs to upgrade, but there has been one position of need all season.

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, Philadelphia is looking to upgrade from Cristian Pache.

"In essence, the Phillies are attempting to upgrade the Cristian Pache spot on the roster. Pache, remember, started three of the first four postseason games last year. He did not appear again until he was used as a pinch hitter in Game 7 of the NLCS."

Pache has only played in 39 games this year and has 77 at-bats. In his 77 at-bats, the right-handed hitter is slashing .195/.308/.260 and has yet to hit a home run.

If he has to play in the postseason like he did in the 2023 campaign, the Phillies can't expect much to change, as he's a career 47 OPS+ hitter.

Whether they make a big splash at the deadline remains to be seen, but if they want to, they have the pieces to get it done. Pache doesn't need to be replaced by a superstar, although it doesn't hurt to go out and trade for one.

In a proposed trade from Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, Philadelphia would be doing just that. Reuter pitched a deal that'd send Mick Abel, Starlyn Caba, Eduardo Tait, and Samuel Aldegheri for Luis Robert Jr. and John Brebbia.

"It would be a big swing for the fences by the Phillies, but their title window is open right now and Robert could be the missing piece that pushes them over the top."

Robert would be the highlight of this trade as Brebbia, a bullpen arm, has posted a 5.34 ERA in 34 appearances thus far. However, his career 3.60 ERA and 1.19 WHIP do lead to some optimism.

Trading Abel, who's viewed as a consensus top-three prospect in the system, comes with a risk. Still, Reuter's point about being in a World Series window now makes sense, so landing someone like Robert could be a great decision.

The 26-year-old Cuba native has had a quiet year, mostly due to injury. He's slashing .190/.270/.450 with seven home runs in 100 at-bats.

Despite his struggles and injury concerns, he's a career 123 OPS+ bat and doesn't hit free agency until 2026. Robert would add another potential star to this lineup, making them better than they already are as currently constructed.