Phillies assistant GM: ‘Heck no’ does he want to trade top prospects, but team has to ‘figure out what’s right’ at deadline
When tasked with leading a team’s scouting department and draft room, it’s only natural for an executive to feel some sort of emotional attachment to the players he selects. Those prospects are representative of all the dedication put in by the scouts, and there’s a sense of pride when they move on to perform in the major leagues.
Phillies assistant general manager and head of amateur scouting Brian Barber felt that first-hand earlier this season when 2020 first-round pick Mick Abel, the very first player he selected after being hired the organization, made his big-league debut on May 18. The right-hander made an electric start, outdueling Paul Skenes and the Pirates for a win at Citizens Bank Park.
“In all honesty, it’s really cool,” Barber told reporters about Abel’s debut over Zoom Thursday. “That’s what you work for. I mean, we’re on the road non-stop. We’re out here trying to help the Phillies become a better club with what we’re doing. And just to see the start of that and him getting a lot closer to realizing his full potential, it’s super exciting and just cool for us to see that.”
But, Barber admitted, a front office has to put that attachment aside when it comes to making decisions about the trade deadline. Philadelphia, the first-place team in the National League East with glaring holes in the bullpen and room for improvement in the lineup, will almost certainly make additions before 6 p.m. Eastern on July 31. That means that prospects will likely be on the way out, and the Phillies will have to decide which ones they’re willing to send.
“Obviously, you have some type of connection to them,” Barber said. “As an organization, trade deadline coming up, you always have to back away from your own personal connection with the player and try to figure out what’s right for the organization.”
Barber, who joined the Phillies as scouting director in late 2019 and was promoted to assistant general manager in November 2023, has been spending just about all of his time this season preparing for Major League Baseball’s amateur draft that begins on Sunday. But the other members of the front office have the trade deadline on the horizon as well.
The Phillies are contenders, and selling teams will be looking for minor leaguers and other younger players in return for ready-made contributors. Some of Barber’s recent top picks could be of interest. Abel showed flashes while he was in the majors, but he struggled in his last two starts before being sent back down to Triple-A. The rotation is already pretty full in Philly, and top prospect and 2021 first rounder Andrew Painter is expected to join it this summer. Perhaps Abel is a better fit with another team.
Center fielder Justin Crawford, Philadelphia’s first-round choice in 2022, is batting .339 and “knocking on the door at Triple-A,” Barber said. He could potentially be an option in the outfield for the Phillies this year, or he could be someone the team trades. 2023 first rounder Aidan Miller is playing shortstop at Double-A and could be a valuable trade chip if the Phillies wanted to cash in.
“Whether it’s Mick, whether it’s Andy, Justin, Aidan Miller, heck no, I don’t want those guys to leave,” Barber said. “But the other teams want them because they’re good and talented players.”
There are also prospects who weren’t drafted by Barber the Phillies could trade like catcher Eduardo Tait and infielder Aroon Escobar. In any case, the team will need to decide if the reinforcement of the current big-league roster is worth sacrificing what some of these top prospects could provide in the future.
It’s not the easiest thing to balance. The Phillies won’t want to totally mortgage their future, but they also have an opportunity in front of them this season. They’ve been hesitant to deal their best prospects in recent years, but sometimes a bit more urgency is the correct play.
It’ll be intriguing to see where these top minor leaguers stand at the end of the month.
“The organization hopefully will do the best thing that’s right for the Phillies,” Barber said. “But it’s always nice that other teams want your players as well.”