The 2023 MLB trade deadline came and went without Philadelphia Phillies’ president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski making a massive deal. A self-professed wheeler and dealer, Dombrowski went with a rather subdued approach in 2023 by adding starting pitcher Michael Lorenzen and light hitting infielder Rodolfo Castro. But that’s not to say his moves or lack thereof, were not in the best interest of the organization.
The onus has been placed squarely on the backs of the big money players the Phillies have on the roster like the underachieving Trea Turner. Short of adding Shohei Ohtani (keep dreamin’), the Phillies HAD to bank on what’s currently on the roster. While it’s not the popular approach, it’s the correct approach for the 2023 Philadelphia Phillies.
With that being said, here’s how the Sports Talk Philly staff and national experts grade the 2023 Phillies trade deadline moves.
Sports Talk Philly Staff Phillies Trade Deadline Grades
Michael Lipinski – Editor | Grade: B-
- “Okay” is the best way to describe the Phillies trade deadline acquisitions. The Lorenzen trade is fine and fills a major need for the ball club. I do like the flexibility that Lorenzen can add to the pitching staff as the push towards the postseason approaches. Lorenzen is having his best season since 2019 and was an All-Star, so fine. The Rodolfo Castro move is a bit mystifying. I get it, he’s crushing left-handed pitching and he was likely being use incorrectly by the Pittsburgh Pirates, but he doesn’t solve the poor defensive outfield issues that plague the Phillies. Although, with the way Trea Turner is playing this season, Castro might end up as the starting shortstop sooner than later.
Paul Bowman – Editor | Grade: C
- First, I’ll address the Rodolfo Castro trade. Personally, I liked Bailey Falter but if the team truly believes in guys like Abel, Painter and McGarry, he was more redundant in Philadelphia. With Sanchez and Suarez being potential long-term options for the rotation and the possibility of Nola (or pehaps Ohtani) getting an extended deal in the offseason, it makes Falter a bit of excess depth that they likely couldn’t carry long. Castro has a strong reputation and could be used as a matchup guy – something that fits what Rob Thompson seems to neurotically need to do depending on what hand the opposing pitcher uses. This move seems more long-term focused, however. It may not be a great help immediately, but he’d provided the best power off the bench against a lefty we’ve seen all season. He also offers the team an extra year of control than they had over Falter. It gives the team several years of Sosa and Castro as utility players and, potentially, they can parlay one of those players into another deal as they made to send Vierling and Maton to Detroit to fill a need that arises later on down the line. More control and future flexibility seems positive to me. And to agree with Michael, yes, he can play shortstop better than Trea Turner has.
- The larger trade that weighs down the grade, however, is the Lorenzen trade. Before Sanchez staked his claim to the fifth starter spot, Michael Lorenzen would have been a great add. Signing him as a free agent would have been great, too, as I was hoping to see the Phillies start with a six-man rotation to try and rest Wheeler and Nola who threw a ton of innings in 2022. At this point, it seems rather meaningless, however. Lorenzen is a solid pitcher and he will provide length as well as be a pretty reliable reliever or piggyback option in a potential playoff berth – I don’t doubt that. My issue with this trade has little to do with the quality of his play, however.
- The issue is that he is merely a rental player with no control following this season. Beyond that, the issue with this team is clearly not the pitchers or much less the rotation but the gaping holes in the lineup that players like Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos have left. It doesn’t matter who is pitching, if they are going to go 0/15 with a walk, the team will probably lose. That’s what they’ve been doing for months (or in Turner/Schwarber’s cases, all season). It’s almost three quarters of the way and the pair that was at the top of the lineup has done absolutely nothing to improve and have hurt every pitcher with the worst defense ever seen. Giving up a top-five prospect for a guy that won’t address any of the team’s top three issues (all hitters who never get benched) AND who won’t be around next season is a pretty dumb decision for a squad filled with veterans that have made no adjustments whatsoever and shown no fight to make improvements themselves. It’s a win-now move for a squad that can’t get out of their own way and who’s “leaders” are themselves the reason this team may not even make the playoffs. Trading away future assets for a rental of a guy that won’t address the real issues the squad has. It seems like watching the house slowly burn down so you purchase insurance on your car.
National Experts Phillies Trade Deadline Grades
CBS Sports – R.J. Anderson | Grade: B
The Athletic – Jim Bowden | Grade: B
Fox Sports- Staff | Grade: B+
Sportsnaut – Matt Johson | Grade: A-
The Sporting News -Kevin Skiver | Grade: B
