You know the saying about how opinions are like a particular body part, right? Everybody has one. That’s true, especially when it comes to what the Phillies should or shouldn’t do, will or won’t do, and could or would do this offseason. Some opinions are weightier than others. For what it’s worth, a former Phillies GM weighed in on a feeling that he has and it would actually seem to have some merit.
Ruben Amaro was on 94.1 WIP and espoused the idea that one of the Phillies key players could be moved this winter in an effort to get the Phillies out from in under a massive contract. Amaro didn’t mention any particular names and he made sure to point out that it was not coming from any particular insider information that he has.
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“You may see one of the big contracts moved. I’m not saying who. And I know there are a lot of no-trade clauses. But you may see one of those big contracts get moved somehow, someway,” said Amaro.
Pressed by host Devan Kaney on who Amaro was thinking could be moved, he refused to tip his hand. That leads to speculation about just who Amaro was talking about. In the world of “massive” contracts, there are some names to kick around.
Zack Wheeler has two years and $84-million remaining on his deal, which is an extension of his original deal, and was just signed about 18 months ago. Bryce Harper has six years and $144-million left on his deal which contains a no-trade clause. Trea Turner, who also has a full no-trade clause, has eight years and over $218-million left on his deal that he is just three seasons into with the Phillies. Aaron Nola has five years and over $122-million left on a deal he signed two years ago. Nola does not have a no-trade clause, but he does get an extra million dollars if he is traded.
Those four contracts pretty much account for the “massive” deals that the Phillies have on the books. Wheeler is coming off of a fairly substantial injury. Plus, he is counted on to be a veteran presence in the rotation and it’s unlikely he would go anywhere. Nola is coming off of the worst season of his career and also has had some injury issues. He likely could be moved but the Phillies may not receive the value he normally would bring and they would likely have to eat a fairly substantial portion of his remaining salary.
That leaves us looking at Harper and Turner. At his end of the season eulogy last week, Dave Dombrowski may have hurt Harper’s value when he declared that: “He’s still a quality player. He’s still an All-Star-caliber player. He didn’t have an elite season like he has had in the past. And I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or he continues to be good. Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer. He’s the one that will dictate that more than anything else.”
As for Turner, Dombrowski didn’t have much to say about the Phillies shortstop, who has hit a combined 62-207-.287/.337/.461/.798 in his three seasons with the Phillies. After a rough stretch last season, Turner has become a fan favorite and has produced at high levels.
It would seem like Harper would be the main candidate to be dealt. Consider that he has rankled the commissioner, which likely made for some awkward moments for Phillies management, his numbers have dropped, and he has had a number of injuries that were not exactly of the serious nature, but some were bad enough to put him on the IL. He also has had back issues, which can haunt a player throughout their career.
While it is almost too much to comprehend that the Phillies might actually trade Harper, there is a world where it could make sense. Considering the falling stats and his health issues, now might be the time to trade Harper if you are going to do it. Remember how the Phillies were stuck with Ryan Howard‘s contract in its latter years? Harper’s could be the same thing, only worse. Just as a contract extension for Howard was a good idea at the time, signing Harper was the move to make as well. All we could do about the future was speculate. In the celebration of the moment, we lost sight of just how quickly a great signing can turn bad. Actually, there is no guarantee that the remaining years will be bad. Perhaps 2025 was a small blip on the radar for Harper and he will be back to the elite status that Dombrowski talked about in 2026.
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For a deeper dive on Turner, consider that the Phillies have a young shortstop named Aidan Miller who is coming through the system. He’s not ready now, but could be by as early as mid-season. Of course, we heard that about Andrew Painter and Justin Crawford and it just didn’t work out that way. We also hear about how Miller could move to second base or third base, but yet he has never played either of those positions professionally or in high school. When he was asked about whether he would play positions other than shortstop in the AFL, Miller was told that the Phillies had never discussed that with him, but that he would be open to the idea. So, you have to ask yourself; do the Phillies really look at him changing positions? Or do they view him as an eventual replacement for Turner at short?
Keep in mind that Amaro – and I – are both just speculating. Actually, I am speculating about Amaro’s speculation. But hey, it’s the offseason and this is what goes on. We all do it. We all have that particular body part and we all have opinions.
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