The Philadelphia Phillies’ main trade target has “tremendous” value

As the Philadelphia Phillies prepare for the MLB trade deadline, they are expected to be aggressive. Dave Dombrowski is never afraid to add talent to his roster, and with an obvious chance to win the World Series, that will be no change this year.

The Phillies don’t need to improve in many areas. Rumor has it they’re looking for an outfielder, and like all contending teams, it never hurts to find additional pitchers.

Their biggest trade target appears to be Mason Miller if he is traded. Miller has a good chance of becoming the best closer in baseball and would add another dominant pitcher to Philadelphia’s already above-average bullpen.

The question for the front office is who they want to trade. The Oakland Athletics are arguably the worst team in baseball, so they will certainly be looking for some of the Phillies’ most promising players in return.

But would it make sense to trade Andrew Painter, Aidan Miller, or Mick Abel for a relief pitcher? Given their current odds, you could argue it makes sense, but that would be a huge price to pay for a relief pitcher.

However, there is little reason for the Athletics to trade Miller unless they get a suitable package.

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported what some league executives had to say about his trade value. One AL executive said, “The return would be enormous.”

“The return would be tremendous,” said one American League executive. “You could potentially fill your system with some solid talent.”

“There is a health risk for any team that signs him – and therefore a risk to keep him long-term. With no competition in the near future, I think they will look around but maybe not sell.”

Another executive argued that given the move from Oakland to Las Vegas, it might make sense to trade him now in order to acquire influential players in the future.

“He’s young and has the control he needs, and to get him you’d need a lot of strong guys,” said a NL manager.

“If the A’s really don’t have the money or commitment to the team until they get to Vegas, it might make sense to trade him for young, impact players of the future. I think it makes sense to trade him with an eye on the future.”

Painter, Miller and Abel are exactly that.

While his price is high, it doesn’t necessarily mean they have to trade away one of their top three young players. However, it would make sense if one of them was involved.

It’s a tough decision, but they have to think about it if they believe he will win them the World Series.