Philadelphia Phillies Have Major Fall in Farm System Rankings

Following their trades ahead of the MLB deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies farm system has taken a hit in the power rankings.

Jul 8, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; National League Futures designated hitter Justin Crawford (13) of the Philadelphia Phillies hits an RBI-sacrifice fly against the American League Futures during the second inning of the All Star-Futures Game at T-Mobile Park. / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies haven’t always looked like it in the second half of the season, but they are one of the best teams in baseball this season. They looked to cement their standing atop the league with some moves ahead of the 2024 MLB trade deadline.

Solidifying their bullpen was the No. 1 priority. The Phillies had a strong stable of arms, but manager Rob Thomson mixes and matches without set roles in the backend. Adding a few more pieces to the puzzle for that strategy made sense.

The biggest splash they made was acquiring closer Carlos Estevez from the Los Angeles Angels. He had been great for a bad Angels team this season and provides Thomson with another dominant late-game option.

Philadelphia also acquired left-handed reliever Tanner Banks from the Chicago White Sox. His addition meant the end of Gregory Soto’s tenure in the City of Brotherly Love, who was unable to gain the All-Star form he showed with the Detroit Tigers. He ended up being traded in a second deal with the Baltimore Orioles.

The most expensive trade that the Phillies made ahead of the deadline, in terms of prospect cost, was for Esteves. Despite being a rental, he cost two top-10 prospects; right-hander George Klassen and left-hander Samuel Aldegheri.

As Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report shared, that is a steep price to pay for a rental player. But, as a team that is looking to win a World Series this season, it makes sense. Rising prospects are nice to have, but Klassen nor Aldegheri were going to help the Phillies bring home any hardware this season.

Including them in a trade is a major reason that Philadelphia has seen its position in the farm system rankings drop. Before the deadline, they were the No. 11 team in Reuter’s rankings. Post-deadline, they are now in the bottom half of the league at No. 17.

They were the No. 2 faller in baseball, but this farm system is still very healthy. They added a top-10 pitcher in the Soto deal from the Orioles, acquiring right-hander Seth Johnson, who is considered a Tier 3 prospect.

Overall, there is some elite talent remaining should the Phillies look to make another major splash in the winter or ahead of next season’s deadline. Four Tier 1 players remain; outfielder Justin Crawford, right-hand pitcher Andrew Painter, third baseman Aidan Miller and shortstop Starlyn Caba. Catcher Eduardo Tait is the only Tier 2 player in the system currently.