Grading the Philadelphia Phillies' MLB Trade Deadline Moves

Inside the Phillies grades the transactions made by the Philadelphia Phillies at the 2022 MLB trade deadline.

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The 2022 MLB trade deadline has finally come to a halt. For much of the hours and days leading up to the Aug. 2 deadline, the moves were few and far between. But once they got rolling on Tuesday, they didn't stop, and the Philadelphia Phillies were in the thick of it. 

Philadelphia got started by adding center fielder Brandon Marsh from the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for Logan O'Hoppe, the promising catching prospect within the Phillies' organization. 

Marsh is a clear upgrade defensively at the position and it also allowed for the club to DFA Odubel Herrera and use Mickey Moniak as a trade chip for another trade with the Angels (more on that in a minute).

New Philadelphia Phillies Center Fielder Brandon Marsh / Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

Of course, many will immediately point to his .226 batting average on the season, but it goes much deeper than that. Marsh was a top prospect in all of baseball and with just 163 games under his belt at the major league level, there is still a lot of potential to unlock.

Simply put: he has a much higher ceiling than any of the other options Philadelphia possessed, and he was controllable. 

With the help of hitting coach Kevin Long, Marsh may just be able to find his swing at the big league level. 

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New Philadelphia Phillies Starting Pitcher Noah Syndergaard / Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

The Phillies also added another player from the Angels in the form of starter Noah "Thor" Syndergaard, but in a separate transaction from the Marsh trade. 

Acquiring Syndergaard came at the cost of two players: outfielders Mickey Moniak and Jadiel Sanchez. Syndergaard will be a free agent at the end of the 2022 MLB season, and recently came off of Tommy John surgery.

However, he has posted a 3.83 ERA with a 1.213 WHIP and a 3.95 FIP. While his stuff is still coming back and his peripherals aren't encouraging, he still represents a significant upgrade from the likes of Bailey Falter and Nick Nelson. 

Additionally, "Thor" has a pedigree for success and a fiery personality that could fit right in with Philly. The Phillies have had success in implementing changes to their pitchers in order for them to achieve success. Between adding pitches and changing pitch mixes, Zack Wheeler and Andrew Bellatti are two examples of such a thing occurring within the organization. 

Adding a capable starter with a decent track record of success was well worth the asking price from Los Angeles and gives the Phillies a real shot at contending for a postseason berth.

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New Philadelphia Phillies Relief Pitcher David Robertson / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Finally, Philadelphia struck a deal with the Chicago Cubs to bring reliever David Robertson back to Philadelphia for his second stint with the club.

In the midst of a renaissance season, Robertson is throwing harder and having more success than ever. His 2.23 ERA and 1.041 WHIP are significantly better than his career averages and he has recorded 14 saves.

The righty won't take over the closer role, at least not given the current situation, but he will help bolster a bullpen unit that has quietly been a strength for the Phillies this season. 

Ben Brown was the return for the Cubs. Brown has had a breakout season in High-A and his value has never been higher. In order to acquire top-end talent, a club must part with similar. 

This is a move that states "we are going for it" from President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski.

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Quite frankly, this is a very easy trade deadline to grade. The Phillies gave up just four prospects on Tuesday who either had no path to the big league club, or their future with the franchise was cloudy. In exchange, they received a high-ceiling center fielder who already plays plus-defense, a starter who can and has started meaningful games in October, and perhaps the best relief option that was on the trade block.

Overall Grade: A-

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