The Philadelphia Phillies may look at trade deals this offseason with Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Jonathan Papelbon as potential targets for teams after trading away Jimmy Rollins, as general manager Ruben Amaro may start building heavily for the future, something that many expected to happen last year for the team.
The Phillies have had a few tough years since being a perennial playoff team and now that they have traded Rollins, some other stars could be next. According to Hardball Talk, the team has tried to shop Papelbon since last season, but so far no one is willing to pay up for a high priced closer. David Robertson just got a ton of money on the market, but teams see Robertson as a much more valuable option than Papelbon. Lee is making a ton of money and will be hard to move, while Utley and Howard are also on big contracts with past injury issues.
The Phillies won 73 games last season and they once again missed the playoffs and now the team is teetering on rebuilding and trying to make a run in the NL East. The Washington Nationals are pretty stacked and they will be hard to beat, while the Marlins have improved quite a bit and the Mets are also putting together a solid roster. The Phillies could end up in the bottom of the division with the Braves and that is a stark difference from a few years ago.
The Phillies ranked near the bottom of the league in most hitting categories, scoring just 619 runs last season. The team was ranked 23rd in runs scored, 24th in batting average and 28th in slugging percentage. The Phillies need to score more runs and the pitching has not been great past Lee and Hamels. Last season the team was 20th in WHIP, ERA and BAA in the league and now the best trade chip for the team could be Hamels. Lee is a coveted player, but his massive contract likely will keep him on the Phillies.
The Phillies traded Rollins to the Dodgers after the Mets and Yankees showed some interest in the shortstop and now he is moving coasts after playing his entire career for the Phillies. The trade was not a surprise and could signal what the Phillies will do moving forward. The Dodgers needed an upgrade after losing Hanley Ramirez and they have Corey Seager waiting in the minors. Rollins comes in after hitting .243 with 17 home runs, 55 RBIs and 28 stolen bases last year and is an upgrade over an unproven player.
CBS Sports reported earlier in the offseason that the Phillies were trying to trade Papelbon, but teams did not want to take on his big contract. Papelbon was signed to a big deal and he will make $13 million next season and the biggest holdup likely is his 2016 option for $13 million which will vest if he finishes 48 games next season. The Phillies are trying to build and making moves with some established players may be the best way to get prospects back into the organization.