Phillies Have Obvious Top Trade Chip This Summer

Who is the top trade chip for the Philadelphia Phillies this summer?

Jul 25, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; A detailed view of a Hall of Fame patch on a Philadelphia Phillies hat resting in the dugout during the second inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are coming off another stellar week, and the team is looking to continue to build momentum. However, with the summer nearly here, so too is the trade deadline. For the Phillies, they will surely be looking to make some upgrades. 

Considering how bad a start it was to the season for the Phillies, it has been a fantastic turnaround. Philadelphia has been one of the best teams in baseball since May, and there are a lot of positives for the team. 

The starting rotation features arguably the best one-two punch in baseball with Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez. Furthermore, Jhoan Duran has been an anchor for the team in the bullpen. The lineup could feature three All-Stars with Brandon Marsh having a fantastic season to go along with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. However, despite a lot of good things in place, their team does have some holes that they will have to address. 

While Philadelphia will be seeking upgrades, how many and the significance of the ones that they can make will be the big question.

Paul Casella of MLB recently wrote about the top trade chip for the Phillies this summer being pitcher Gage Wood. 

Wood Is Obvious Top Trade Chip

Arkansas Razorbacks starting pitcher Gage Wood | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

When looking at potential trade chips for Philadelphia, the options aren’t great. This is a team that is aggressive year after year, trying to add talent, and that has come at the expense of their farm system. 

This summer, the team will undoubtedly be trying to add some players again, but their prospect pool is lacking. Currently, one of their top prospects, Aidan Miller, is sidelined with a back injury, leaving Wood as the obvious choice as the top trade candidate. 

The right-hander has been moving up through the system for Philadelphia and has been impressive in a small sample size so far in Double-A.  Furthermore, at the major league level, both Justin Crawford and Andrew Painter have struggled, and their trade value is likely way down from where it was when they were prospects. 

If the Phillies are looking for ways to make significant improvements this summer that will cost the team a lot in terms of trade value, their options could be limited to just Wood. As a fast-rising prospect and the team potentially needing help in the back end of their rotation, it will be interesting to see if Philadelphia will be willing to move Wood before the trade deadline.