Talented Prospect Could Be Centerpiece of Trades for Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies could use their talented outfield prospect as a centerpiece in trades.

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 during the second inning of the All Star-Futures game at T-Mobile Park. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies entered the offseason with the desire to shake things up after an early exit in the playoffs. 

It was a disappointing end to the 2024 campaign for the Phillies, as despite having World Series expectations, they were only able to win one playoff game. 

While they have had a lot of success over the past three years, they haven’t been able to win the title as they've has been eliminated earlier and earlier in October the past three seasons. 

Philadelphia still has one of the best cores in baseball, but it's a group that is getting older.

With superstars like Bryce Harper and Zack Wheeler still performing at a high level, the time to win is now. 

The Phillies have a couple of needs on the roster they hope to improve, and in the starting rotation, they could use an arm to get Taijuan Walker out of the mix since he was dreadful last season. 

The bullpen has always been a talking point, and with Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez both being free agents, they will need some more options. 

In their lineup, adding an outfielder or two would be beneficial, as they got nearly zero offensive production from center and left field in the playoffs. 

While free agency could be the way they try to improve, Philadelphia could also try to make some trades.

Recently, Joel Rueter of Bleacher Report spoke about Justin Crawford potentially being a centerpiece in deals during the winter meetings. 

“The Philadelphia Phillies current window to win a title is rapidly closing as their core of established stars moves closer to exiting their primes, and that could breed a sense of urgency this winter to go all-in on the 2025 season. Justin Crawford immediately became one of the team's top prospects when he was taken No. 17 overall in the 2022 draft, and he has hit .316/.371/.442 with 72 extra-base hits and 99 steals in 213 games over three minor league seasons. The son of former MLB All-Star Carl Crawford, he offers a similarly full toolbox with the potential to be an impact table-setter offensively and a standout defender in the outfield, but his proximity to the majors could make him a trade chip.”

Crawford is one of the best prospects the Phillies have, and if they do entertain trading him, it would likely be for an impact player.

However, since he plays in the outfield and can do pretty much everything well, keeping him should be a strong consideration. 

Due to Philadelphia desperately trying to win a World Series with their current core, they are going to be doing everything possible to put the best product on the field. 

With the Los Angeles Dodgers getting even better this offseason, the Phillies know they have to improve significantly as well if they are going to compete in 2025 and beyond.