Phillies Pitching Prospect Emerging as Potential Trade Chip

The Philadelphia Phillies have a new trade chip emerging in the lower minor leagues.

May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

There is a decent amount of work for Dave Dombrowski to do ahead of the MLB trade deadline this year to improve the Philadelphia Phillies' roster and solidify their chances of making a run in the National League during the postseason.

For virtually the entire season, a right-handed hitter has been needed to balance the lineup. Ideally, it would come in the form of an outfielder so the team can put to rest any idea of Bryce Harper going back out in the grass.

On the mound, the bullpen has become a pressing need after Brad Keller suffered a season-ending UCL injury. Bridging the gap to Jhoan Duran has been a challenge. Also, the team remains uncompetitive most of the time when Aaron Nola and the No. 5 starter take the mound.

That has to change, but it is fair to wonder if there is enough in the farm system to upgrade all those weaknesses. Luckily for the Phillies, an intriguing arm is developing in the lower minor leagues who could be used in a prospect trade package.

Marty Gair a prospect to watch ahead of MLB trade deadline

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As shared by Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required), one player to keep an eye on is right-handed pitcher Marty Gair.

A 13th-round pick in the 2023 MLB Draft out of Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, Florida, he isn’t currently in the organization’s top 30 prospects. However, he has an interesting pitching profile that could attract attention from other teams when discussing trade packages, including a fastball that averages 97.8 mph.

A relief pitcher with Single-A Clearwater in the Florida State League, Gair has blown hitters away, striking out 56 out of the 132 batters he has faced in 32 innings pitched. He has yet to receive a promotion, and it is pretty clear why.

Marty Gair was named Phillies Minor League Pitcher of the Month for June

He tallied 18 strikeouts in only 8.2 innings of work and hitters went 1-26 (.038 batting avg) against him

Gair has one of the best fastballs in the minors and ramped it up to 101.5 mph during the month pic.twitter.com/RUqV2A1KpR

— FuturePhils (@FuturePhils) July 3, 2026

He is striking out a lot of batters, but there is still work to be done with his control and pitch location. Gair has issued 20 walks this season, and throughout his time in the minor leagues, he has an 8.2 BB/9 ratio.

It is hard to consistently find success when suffering self-inflicted wounds like that, putting guys on with free passes. It has resulted in a 5.06 ERA thus far in 2026, but he has allowed only 18 hits. Unfortunately, five of them have been home runs.

While Gair likely isn’t a headliner in a trade package, he could certainly be used as the second or third prospect in a package to help get a deal over the finish line. Teams can see the raw tools and talent he has, believing their coaching staff can help him take his game to the next level and develop into a useful relief pitcher at the highest level.

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