The Philadelphia Phillies’ pitching picture has become impossible to ignore.
Aaron Nola and rookie Andrew Painter have both had their struggles, the bullpen has not held up its end, and Brad Keller is expected to miss the rest of the year with a UCL tear. That leaves Philadelphia searching for answers on the mound, and it needs them fast.
One possible fix, at least in the eyes of Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, might already be in the organization. In a bold prediction for all 30 teams as the second half begins, Reuter projected the Phillies would turn to one of their top minor-league arms and trust him to help down the stretch.
That arm is Gage Wood, a 22-year-old starter at Double-A Reading.
Reuter drew a direct line to what the Toronto Blue Jays did with Trey Yesavage last season, when they leaned on a largely unknown pitcher during their run to the brink of a World Series title.
"Last year, Trey Yesavage showed there are significant benefits to being largely an unknown, as he was a playoff hero for the Blue Jays after making just three regular season starts," Reuter wrote.
"Gage Wood could be Yesavage 2.0 this year, and the Phillies have a history of unveiling a recent call-up in October, with Orion Kerkering earning a playoff roster spot after just three appearances. Wood, 22, has a 3.44 ERA and 79 strikeouts in 55 innings, and he has reached Double-A in his first full professional season."
Yesavage made three regular-season appearances for Toronto after his call-up, then turned in a 3-1 record with a 3.58 ERA in the playoffs. His ERA this year sits at 3.72.
There is obvious risk in asking a prospect to jump late into a season and suddenly matter in a starting role. But the Phillies are not in a developmental phase. They are trying to win now.
Wood’s background at least gives the idea some appeal, since he has worked out of the bullpen in college. Still, the current state of Philadelphia’s relief corps makes any such move feel far from simple. If the bullpen were a strength, this would be a much cleaner gamble.
For now, the promotion does not appear to be close. Jeff Kerr noted in a recent Phillies on SI article that Wood is not on the verge of a call-up. Even so, that could change later in the season if the Phillies want to maximize their chances of chasing a title.
Philadelphia enters a three-game series with the New York Yankees at 56-47 after dropping its first two series of the second half to the New York Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers. The club has also been trying to claw back from a 9-19 start while the Atlanta Braves sit 4.5 games ahead in the National League East.
In Other News...
Phillies Just Got A Troubling Pitching Update Before The Deadline
The Phillies have spent much of the summer trying to patch together a roster that has been tested by injuries on the right side of the outfield and by some uneven pitching behind the front of the rotation. With the deadline approaching, the conversation inside the organization has only sharpened around how much help the staff actually has in reserve, especially when it comes to finding reliable innings beyond the starters who are already carrying the load.
Alex McFarlane and Gage Wood are part of the systems long-term picture, but neither is viewed as a quick fix for the kind of late-game pressure the Phillies need to solve right now. Wood is still being developed as a starter, while McFarlane remains a work in progress, which leaves the front office staring at a familiar deadline question: whether the answer has to come from outside the organization rather than from a prospect breakthrough at home. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Linked To Francisco Lindor In Trade Idea Mets Fans Need To See
With the trade deadline approaching, the Phillies are still searching for ways to sharpen a roster built to win now, with pitching and bullpen help sitting near the top of the list. A recent hypothetical idea put Francisco Lindor into the conversation, which is enough to get attention around the league, but it also comes with an obvious question for Philadelphia: where exactly would he fit on a team that already has Trea Turner locked in long term?
Lindors production this season has not exactly made the case for a major reshuffle, and the Phillies have reason to be cautious about forcing a move just because a big name is available. For all the intrigue attached to a star shortstop, the cleaner path may be to use the deadline to add a more natural fit, with an outfielder on an expiring contract looking like the kind of upgrade that would make more sense for what this roster actually needs. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Linked To A Trade Idea That Would Frustrate Fans Fast
The latest trade chatter around the Phillies has a familiar kind of frustration attached to it, because it asks them to chase help at a spot that already looks occupied. Bleacher Reports Zachary D. Rymer floated a deal that would send two pitching prospects to Minnesota in exchange for a catcher, but Philadelphias current setup makes the idea feel more like a detour than a solution. J.T. Realmuto is healthy and still entrenched as the starter, while the broader roster picture points elsewhere for upgrades.
Catcher has become a depth conversation in Philadelphia more than a true need, especially with Rafael Marchan sidelined for a while and Garrett Stubbs not viewed as a reliable emergency starter. Even so, the Phillies front office has more pressing holes to address, particularly in the search for a right-handed slugger and outfield help, which is why a move like this would likely test fans patience fast. The market may exist for a catcher, but for the Phillies, the fit looks awfully hard to justify. [Read more 🡒]