Exploring three trades the Phillies could make to address their offseason needs

Let’s play the general manager game.

The Phillies have been relatively quiet so far this offseason, which presents the opportunity for some hypothetical exercises.

Here are three trade ideas for the Phillies that could address their winter to-do list, and reasons that they may or may not work if they came across Dave Dombrowski’s desk:

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Infielder Aidan Miller to the Red Sox for outfielder Jarren Duran

Boston already has a logjam in its outfield, and top outfield prospect Jhostynxon Garcia is near-MLB ready. That makes the Red Sox logical trade partners for the Phillies, who need outfield help.

Duran, who primarily plays left field but has seen time at all three outfield positions, has a controllable contract through 2028. Last season, the 29-year-old slashed .256/.332/.442 and hit 16 home runs. He also posted 11 defensive runs saved, which ranks second behind Steven Kwan among MLB left fielders. He’s speedy as well, ranking in the 91st percentile of sprint speed.

Miller, the Phillies’ No. 2 prospect, would bolster the Red Sox’s infield depth.

Ideally, the Phillies need a right-handed bat, and Duran is a lefty. Their No. 2 prospect is a high price to pay for yet another left-handed outfield bat. But that’s likely the cost for a player of Duran’s caliber with three years of team control and several clubs needing outfield help. Even so, it would be a big blow to an already thin farm system.

Duran doesn’t counteract the Phillies’ main offensive weaknesses, either. He had a strikeout rate of 24.3% and a chase rate of 31.1% last season. His career OPS against lefties is .620, compared to .837 against righties.

The Red Sox might also prefer to use one of their biggest trade chips to prioritize their more immediate need of starting pitching.

Pitcher Gage Wood, pitcher Alex McFarlane, and infielder Aroon Escobar to the Orioles for catcher Adley Rutschman

If Plan A of re-signing J.T. Realmuto doesn’t work out for the Phillies, they will need to turn to Plan B. But the catching free-agent market this winter isn’t exactly robust, so trading for one might be the most logical avenue.

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There has been trade buzz surrounding Rutschman since the Orioles signed their top catching prospect, Samuel Basallo, to an eight-year extension in August. Rutschman is under team control through 2027.

The 27-year-old switch-hitter was is coming off his least productive major league season, and was limited to 90 games with oblique strains. Even so, he had an above-average chase rate (21.7%) and whiff rate (14.5%) in 2025. Over his four-year career, Rutschman has a .254/.344/.412 slash line.

The Orioles need pitching. The Phillies’ top pitching prospect, Andrew Painter, was off the table at the trade deadline, and it’s unlikely that has changed. To avoid including their top three prospects — Painter, Miller, and Justin Crawford — it probably would require a bigger package to net Rutschman.

McFarlane, 24, is the closest of the three included prospects to being major league ready was recently was protected by the Phillies ahead of the Rule 5 draft. He finished the 2025 season, his first back from Tommy John surgery, as a reliever with double-A Reading and posted a 4.84 ERA across two levels.

Wood, whom the Phillies plan to develop as a starter, was the Phillies’ first-round draft pick out of Arkansas this year.

Rounding out the package is Escobar, the Phillies’ No. 5 prospect. He had a .270 batting average and .774 OPS across three levels, ending the season with a September promotion to double A.

Rutschman is coming off a down year, and the Orioles would be selling low on a player who was envisioned as the future face of their franchise when he was drafted first overall in 2019.

While the Orioles vastly underperformed preseason expectations in 2025, finishing last in the American League East, Baltimore president of baseball operations Mike Elias could be banking on a return to contention in 2026. There’s certainly precedent, after the Blue Jays went from last to first in the AL East in one year. If so, Baltimore might prefer to keep Rutschman around, as he’s more polished behind the plate than Basallo.

From the Phillies’ perspective, sending away three top-30 prospects would be a big setback for a farm system that already is lean. They also would be betting that Rutschman would bounce back from a career-low OPS+ of 90.

And if the Phillies re-sign Realmuto, this trade would be redundant.

Third baseman Alec Bohm and pitcher Jean Cabrera to the Mariners for catcher Harry Ford

Bohm, who is entering his final year before free agency, has been the subject of trade rumors for two straight offseasons. The Mariners need a third baseman, with Eugenio Suárez now a free agent.

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Seattle’s top catching prospect, Ford, is blocked from a starting role by Cal Raleigh, the 2025 AL MVP runner-up. Ford, 22, made his major league debut in September and played eight games for the Mariners, but he currently doesn’t have a path to regular playing time. Ford played 97 games in triple A last season, where he hit .283 with an .868 OPS. Behind the plate, he had zero passed balls and caught runners stealing 23% of the time.

He could make sense for the Phillies whether they re-sign Realmuto or not. After sending Eduardo Tait to the Twins in the Jhoan Duran trade, the Phillies lack future catching depth. Bringing Ford into the fold also would help the Phillies get younger.

Garrett Stubbs and Rafael Marchán are under contract with the Phillies for 2026. If Realmuto signs with another team, Stubbs or Marchán could work in a tandem with Ford as he continues to develop.

If the Phillies are trading from their major league roster, they will have to make additional moves to fill the holes it creates. That means they suddenly would be in the market for a third baseman.

That is, unless the Phillies are confident that Otto Kemp and/or Edmundo Sosa will be a sufficient stopgap until Miller is ready for the majors. But third base is not the strongest defensive position for Kemp (minus-7 outs above average) or Sosa (0 OAA).

The Mariners could be looking for an even higher price for Ford, who is ranked as the No. 42 prospect in MLB.