Phillies MLB Trade Deadline Candidates: Ryan Pressly
The Philadelphia Phillies solidified their spot in the top tier of MLB teams with a hot start. They entered the season with World Series expectations despite a relatively slow offseason.
Dave Dombrowski showed confidence in the current makeup of the group by keeping his core pieces together with no major additions to the starting lineup.
What does the relatively slow strategy and the high demands from Philadelphia fans mean for the Phillies ahead of the MLB Trade Deadline?
This is a big market team operating on a hefty budget trying to take advantage of a window for World Series contention. Expect Dombrowski to make some deals.
Ryan Pressly
Ryan Pressly stood on the mound and watched Kyle Tucker squeeze a weak pop-up off the bat of Nick Castellanos in foul territory. Phillies fans watched helplessly as the Houston Astros clinched the 2022 World Series and ended one of the most memorable runs in Philadelphia sports history.
Could they cheer Pressly just two years later at Citizens Bank Park?
The 35-year-old former All-Star saved 90 games from 2021-23. He posted a WHIP under one and a modest 2.94 ERA during the three-year span. However, the Astros signed Josh Hader to push their long-time closer to a set-up role.
Houston entered 2024 looking to extend a streak of seven consecutive ALCS appearances. They limped through a disastrous month of April. Ken Rosenthal already listed them as a potential surprise seller at the MLB Trade Deadline.
The same type of deep hole pushed the New York Mets to sell in July 2023. The Astros have some incentive to do the same with veterans like Pressly, Justin Verlander, or Alex Bregman.
Pressly will earn $14 million in 2024. He’ll most likely qualify for a vesting option that means an additional $14 million in guaranteed money for the final year of his deal in 2025.
Phillies Need Right-Handed Reliever
Jeff Hoffman stunningly earned a role as the primary right-handed reliever for the Phillies during the 2023 postseason. He’s off to another fantastic start in 2024 that is erasing any doubts about a potential flash in the pan.
However, Rob Thomson doesn’t have many options behind Hoffman. Orion Kerkering has a bright future. He’ll need to develop a deeper pitch selection and expand past his nasty sweeper before the Phillies should trust him in high-leverage postseason spots.
Yunior Marte showed promise in April before an untimely injury. He also doesn’t have the major league track record to become the best option behind Hoffman just yet.
The Phillies want Seranthony Dominguez to fill the role as an in-house option. The Dominican fireballer hasn’t pitched confidently enough in 2023 or 2024, however. Early-season blowups against the Braves, Reds, and Angels skyrocketed his ERA, and it’s fair to question his level of confidence out of the bullpen.
Should Dombrowski expect internal improvement, or should he aggressively pursue a trade for Ryan Pressly?
The Likelihood Of A Ryan Pressly Trade
If Pressly does end up on the trade market, he’s an ideal fit. He’s shaken off a poor start and regained a rhythm that matches his career track record. A right-hander with a World Series pedigree at the back end of the bullpen should be a primary target for Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies.
The Texas Rangers and the Seattle Mariners didn’t bury their AL West rival during Houston’s weak stretch to begin 2024, however.
The Phillies can’t control the AL West standings or Houston’s decisions. Dombrowski will wait it out and see if a talented team decides to move any big names. If the Astros do sell, there’s still no guarantee they won’t keep Pressly and let Josh Hader walk away in free agency this winter instead.
The time leading up until July 30 will also give the Phillies the opportunity to evaluate Dominguez with a larger body of work.
A lot of factors have to fall into place while other right-handed relievers become available and/or come off the market. However, keep an eye on a 2022 World Series nemesis leading up to the MLB Trade Deadline.
97.5 The Fanatic will evaluate potential trade options for the Philadelphia Phillies ahead of the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline on July 30.
History of Philadelphia Phillies World Series Appearances
Ya Gotta' Believe (1980)
The franchise began as the Philadelphia Quakers in 1883, and the first World Series took place 20 years later. However, Phillies fans had to wait until 1980 to celebrate their first World Series.
Mike Schmidt led the team with two home runs and seven RBIs in the series. Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson for the final out in Game 6 at Veterans Stadium end the drought.
Macho Row Falls to Joe Carter (1993)
The 1993 Phillies became one of the most beloved teams in Philadelphia sports history because of the “Macho Row” mentality that landed so perfectly with the fan base. A colorful mix of personalities like Curt Schilling, Lenny Dykstra, and John Kruk helped push the Phillies past the Braves in the NLCS.
One of the most infamous moments in franchise history ended the memorable ride. Mitch Williams surrendered a walk-off home run to Joe Carter in the 9th inning of the Game 6 clincher.
Surviving Mother Nature (2008)
The Phillies announced a new era of dominance in 2007 by storming back on the New York Mets for their first playoff appearance in 14 years. However, they left the fan base hungry for more with a quick playoff exit. Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jimmy Rollins, and Cole Hamels delivered one year later with an unforgettable playoff run.
Shane Victorino’s grand slam helped the Phillies to a commanding lead in the NLDS. Matt Stairs hit an absolute moonshot at Dodger Stadium. Utley made the best heads-up play in MLB history for the third out of the 7th inning in the clincher.
Mother Nature made them wait two extra days, but Brad Lidge eventually threw the final strike to break a 25-year championship drought for major professional sports teams in Philadelphia. Hamels took home the hardware as the World Series MVP at age 24.
Just Short of Back-to-Back World Series (2009)
The defending NL champions sunk the Dodgers again in the NLCS to advance back to the World Series. Cliff Lee dominated a stacked Yankees lineup in Game 1, but the Phillies ultimately ran out of gas just short of the finish line.
Cole Hamels ended his disappointing 2009 season with a Game 3 loss. Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, and Hideki Matsui overwhelmed a pitching staff that didn’t have enough behind Lee to win consecutive titles.
"Dancing On My Own" To A Miracle Run (2022)
The Phillies backed into the 2022 MLB Playoffs, but their first postseason trip in over a decade made the fan base forget quickly. A 9th inning rally in the postseason opener raised some eyebrows, and the Phillies set themselves up for the triumphant return of Red October at Citizens Bank Park.
The Atlanta Braves didn’t know what hit them in an NLDS stunner, and Bryce Harper capped off the NLCS with the swing of his life against the San Diego Padres.
Only the Houston Astros stood in the way. The Phillies slugged their way to a 2-1 lead in front of a raucous crowd in Philadelphia, but the Astros responded with a combined no-hitter in Game 4 to suck the momentum out of the miracle Red October run. The series ended with another heartbreaker in a Game 6 loss in Houston.
