Phillies Trade Minor League Pitcher to Guardians

The Philadelphia Phillies are one team that many people are keeping a close eye on ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

Surefire buyers, it will be interesting to see what kind of deal Dave Dombrowski can pull off. He has been aggressive in years past ahead of the MLB trade deadline, acquiring players to help the team make a push in the second half of the season.

One move has already been made this season, with outfielder Derek Hill being acquired from the Chicago White Sox after the team learned that starting right fielder Adolis Garcia and Johan Rojas both suffered season-ending injuries.

And now the team has made another move, but this one isn’t even bringing a player back. The Phillies have agreed to trade pitcher Ryan Degges to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for international bonus pool space.

Phillies trade minor league pitcher Ryan Degges to Guardians

Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski looks on in the dugout. — May 17, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski looks on in the dugout before the game against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

A right-handed hurler, Degges was a 17th-round pick in the 2024 MLB Draft out of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. He is currently on the seven-day minor league injured list.

Through nine appearances, seven of which were starts, he has a 5.47 ERA across 24.2 innings. He made two starts with Single-A Clearwater and has spent the rest of the season with High-A Jersey Shore.

Degges has had some issues keeping opponents off base, issuing 15 walks and giving up 23 hits, which came out to a 1.541 WHIP thus far this season. The long ball has been an issue as well, giving up 2.2 home runs per nine innings pitched.

This is a deal that many fans will overlook because it doesn’t involve any Major League players, but it is important. International pool space is coveted by teams so they can sign international free agents.

The Phillies have received international bonus pool space from the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for RHP Ryan Degges.
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 4, 2026

Philadelphia has made several moves recently that netted them extra money for their international pool. Along with Hill, the team acquired $250,000. That is the same amount the Phillies received from the Colorado Rockies when they traded right-handed pitcher Andrew Baker.

When Griff McGarry was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Philadelphia received $500,000 in international bonus pool money. The amount coming from the Guardians has yet to be revealed, but it is a smart move to rack up as much spending money as possible.

It helped the Phillies sign Chan-Min Park recently to a $1.205 million deal, the most an amateur pitcher has ever received. They also signed outfielder Francisco Renteria to a deal worth about $4 million.

It is a worthwhile move to acquire extra money to take a chance on international prospects who could develop into serviceable Major Leaguers down the road.

Sign up for our free newsletter to receive the latest news and updates!

Add us as a preferred source on Google