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Phillies Sign Walker Buehler To Minors Contract

5:07PM: The Phillies have announced the signing, with the added detail that Buehler has inked a minor league contract and will report to Triple-A.

4:45PM: The Phillies have signed right-hander Walker Buehler, The Athletic’s Matt Gelb reports. The deal will become official once Buehler (who is represented by Excel) passes a physical, and Buehler is eligible for inclusion on a playoff roster because he is joining the Phillies before September 1. Gelb reported Philadelphia’s interest in Buehler earlier today.

It was just two days ago that the Red Sox released Buehler, bringing an early end to their partnership after Buehler signed a one-year, $21.05MM free agent deal last winter. Roughly $3.4MM remains on that contract, but the Sox will remain responsible for most of that money, as the Phils will owe Buehler just the prorated portion of the MLB minimum salary.

The signing is a flier to see if Buehler can bounce back in Philadelphia after a rough year in Boston. Buehler has struggled to a 5.45 ERA, 16.5% strikeout rate, and 10.8% walk rate over 112 1/3 innings this season, and opposing batters have taken him yard 22 times. The numbers aren’t far removed from Buehler’s regular-season performance over 75 1/3 innings with the Dodgers in 2024, when Buehler was returning to action after missing the entire 2023 campaign due to Tommy John surgery.

That was the second TJ procedure of Buehler’s career, and given how shaky he has looked in the aftermath, it remains to be seen if the righty can ever return to his past All-Star form. However, Buehler showed some flashes of his old self during the Dodgers’ playoff run in 2024, throwing 10 shutout innings over his last three appearance to help Los Angeles capture the championship. Most notably, Buehler even picked up the save to close out the clinching Game Five.

As Gelb notes, the Phillies are probably viewing Buehler as a bullpen contributor again for the playoffs given how the team already has its postseason rotation set. While losing Zack Wheeler for the season blew a big hole into the Phils’ pitching plans, there’s still plenty of starting options available in Cristopher Sanchez, Ranger Suarez, Jesus Luzardo, Aaron Nola, and Taijuan Walker. The Phillies were considering a six-man rotation for September when Wheeler was still available, so Buehler could potentially make a start or two just to help ease the innings burden on the other starters, and then slide into a relief role in October.

With a healthy 6.5-game lead over the Mets in the NL East, the Phillies have some breathing room to use September as a bit of a laboratory to figure out their optimal playoff roster. If Buehler’s struggles continue, the Phils could just leave him off a postseason roster entirely, with no cost to the team apart from his minimal salary.

A bigger-picture look at Buehler’s free-agent future should wait until his 2025 season is actually over. Buehler is still just 31 and probably wants to keep trying to re-establish himself as a starter, so he’ll likely sign another one-year deal (worth far less than $21.05MM) with a team in need of rotation help. Should Buehler pitch well as a reliever in Philadelphia, however, it might add an interesting wrinkle to the situation, as exploring a full-time role change would add more interest to Buehler’s market.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/08/phillies-sign-walker-buehler.html
 
Poll: Will Anyone Get To 60 Home Runs This Year?

It’s been a great year for power hitters in MLB, as five different players slugged their 40th home run of the season before the end of August. It’s not often that so many hitters enter September with a realistic shot at the lofty threshold of 60 home runs in a season. It’s a feat that’s only been accomplished nine times, and the combination of Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire account for five of those nine 60-homer seasons. Of course, it’s an incredibly rare feat for a reason, and many promising campaigns fall short in the season’s final month. 12 seasons with between 56 and 59 home runs have been logged throughout MLB history, after all.

Will this year’s biggest power threats join that club of also-ran seasons, or will we see the tenth 60-homer season in MLB history come to fruition this year? Here’s a look at each of the top home run hitters from this season and their chances of reaching that illustrious 60-homer plateau, in order of their current home run totals for 2025:

Cal Raleigh

While everyone else on this list hit their 40th homer of the season in August, Raleigh’s 40th home run was actually slugged on July 26. The Mariners’ catcher has had a historic season this year, setting the all-time single season home run record for a catcher while sitting just four behind Mickey Mantle for the all-time single season record for home runs by a switch hitter. With 50 homers tallied so far this year, it’s hard not to see why Raleigh could have a very real shot at hitting 60 home runs this season. He’s hit at least ten homers in three of the season’s five months so far, and has never hit less than eight in a month this year. With that being said, it’s also worth noting that Raleigh has slowed down a bit in the second half of the season. In 40 games since the All-Star break, Raleigh has posted just a 112 wRC+ with 12 home runs. With just 25 games left to play on the Mariners’ schedule, he’ll need to pick up the pace if he’s going to reach 60 homers this year.

Kyle Schwarber

Schwarber is just one homer back of Raleigh in the race for the MLB home run lead after an incredible four-home run performance on August 28. Schwarber has long been one of the game’s premiere power threats and, like Raleigh, has hit at least 10 homers in three of this season’s five months so far. He’ll need to hit 11 in 25 September games in order to reach 60 homers, but one thing working in his favor is that he’s saved most of his power for the second half this year. He’s hit 12 home runs in both July and August, so if he can put up just one more month like the last two, he’ll get there. Of course, a player slugging .655 over his past 52 games also runs the risk of getting pitched around, which could damage Schwarber’s chances of making it to 60. One thing that could work in Schwarber’s favor is his home ballpark, as Statcast considers Citizens Bank Park to be the fifth-most homer friendly stadium in the majors this year.

Shohei Ohtani

With three MVP awards in the past four years, no one should put anything past baseball’s two-way superstar. Ohtani became the first player to go 50-50 last season, and with 54 homers tied with Mantle (and seven other seasons) at 22nd on the single-season home run leaderboard. With 45 home runs headed into September, he has an outside shot at not only breaking that personal record, but getting a coveted 60-homer season. 15 home runs in a single month is a tall order for any player, but Ohtani did exactly that back in May when he crushed 15 long balls in 27 games. The Dodgers have two fewer games than that in September, but Ohtani will benefit from playing his home games at Dodger Stadium, which is far and away the most homer-friendly ballpark in the majors this year per Statcast.

Aaron Judge

Aaron Judge hit his 43rd home run of the season yesterday, and that makes it a tall order for him to reach 60 homers this season. With that being said, onlookers around the game should know better than to doubt the hulking slugger’s offensive abilities at this point, with MVP wins in two of the last three seasons and a completely absurd 202 wRC+ since the start of the 2022 season. Judge is also, of course, the only active player who’s already a member of the 60 home run club after bashing 62 long balls to take the AL home run record from Roger Maris during his 2022 AL MVP campaign. Judge finished just short with 58 home runs last year, but perhaps this year will be different. In order to reach 60 on the season, Judge will need to make a different kind of history: as noted by Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com last year, the record for home runs hit in September (and October, in seasons where it hosts regular season games) belongs jointly to Albert Belle and Babe Ruth. Judge would need to at least tie that duo’s 17 homers in the final month of the year in order to crack 60 long balls this year.

What do MLBTR readers think? Will the league enjoy a 60-homer campaign for the second time in four years this season? And if so, who is most likely to pull it off? Have your say in the polls below:

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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/poll-will-anyone-get-to-60-home-runs-this-year.html
 
MLBTR Podcast: Aroldis Chapman, And Offseason Possibilities For The Braves, Rangers, Pirates And Marlins

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…


Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • What will the Braves do this winter after claiming Ha-Seong Kim? (10:10)
  • What can the Rangers do this winter? (22:05)
  • What can the Pirates do for left field next year? (31:30)
  • Who will the Marlins make available in trades this offseason or at next year’s deadline? (36:40)

Check out our past episodes!


The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...r-the-braves-rangers-pirates-and-marlins.html
 
Nick Castellanos Losing Playing Time In Phillies’ Outfield

The Phillies started Max Kepler in right field tonight against Marlins righty Valente Bellozo. That left Nick Castellanos on the bench for the third time in the past four games, all of which came with a right-hander on the mound.

Manager Rob Thomson said Thursday that Kepler would pick up increased playing time against righties (link via Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic). “At this point in the year, I’m going to put out what I think is the best lineup on any given day to win a ballgame,” Thomson said. “There’s still a bit of a rotation, if you want to call it that. If you want to call it a platoon, doesn’t matter to me.”

That won’t leave much playing time for the righty-hitting Castellanos. That’s less about handedness and more a reflection of his numbers in the second half. Castellanos carries a .199/.253/.309 batting line since the All-Star Break. He had a sub-.600 OPS in both July and August. Kepler’s season numbers are poor, but he’s been the much better hitter in recent weeks. The lefty batter owns a .267/.318/.483 slash with a dramatically reduced 12.1% strikeout rate since the beginning of August. That doesn’t include tonight’s performance, in which he chipped in another two knocks and a home run.

The Phils haven’t wanted to give Kepler playing time against left-handed pitching all season. He’s hitting .196/.258/.304 without the platoon advantage. Castellanos will continue to get at-bats against southpaws. The outfield against righty pitching will run Brandon Marsh, Harrison Bader and Kepler from left to right. Castellanos obviously isn’t going to take more than a scattered start at DH or first base from Kyle Schwarber or Bryce Harper. He’ll be relegated to a short-side platoon role barring an injury.

Castellanos is in the fourth season of a five-year deal that pays him $20MM annually. The Phils signed Castellanos and Schwarber within days of one another coming out of the 2022 lockout. The Schwarber contract has been one of the best free agent pickups in recent memory. The Castellanos addition hasn’t worked out nearly as well. He’s been exceptionally durable and racked up counting stats (including a 29-homer season with 106 RBI in 2023). His rate metrics at the plate have been essentially league average, though, and he’s one of the league’s worst defensive outfielders. FanGraphs and Baseball Reference have each valued Castellanos around a cumulative one win above replacement over the past four seasons.

Schwarber, Bader and Kepler are each impending free agents. The Phils could turn left field to former first-round pick Justin Crawford in 2026. It’s tough to imagine they’ll roll with Castellanos as an everyday right fielder next season. They’re going to make an effort to bring Schwarber back at designated hitter. It stands to reason they’ll try to find a trade partner willing to assume a small portion of Castellanos’ salary, but his second-half numbers could leave them weighing an offseason release if they don’t find a taker.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...losing-playing-time-in-phillies-outfield.html
 
9 Contract Options To Keep An Eye On In September

The final push of the 2025 season is upon is, which means postseason chases for fans lucky enough to root for contending clubs and offseason dreams for those whose clubs are already out of the running. It also means that players with vesting clauses in their contract and/or performance incentives are beginning to unlock bonuses related to plate appearances, innings pitched, games finished, etc.

In particular, there are a handful of club options that are worth keeping an eye on either for incentive purposes or for season-long rehabbers who’ll have a limited September window to audition for next year’s club. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco already highlighted the three vesting options of note last month, but we’ll still take a look at how those players are tracking and also shine a light on six more club/mutual options that’ll have some present financial ramifications as well as potential 2026 roster implications.

Here are nine options to keep in the back of your mind as the season’s final weeks play out…

Pete Fairbanks, RHP, Rays

Fairbanks’ three-year, $12MM extension with Tampa Bay contained a $7MM club option for the 2026 season, but he’s boosted that option’s value considerably. Fairbanks already triggered $1.5MM in escalators based on his total appearances in the first three seasons of the deal, and he’s maxed out a set of escalators based on his number of games finished in 2025, tacking another $2MM onto the option price. His option at this moment is valued at $10.5MM, but if he appears in even two more games this year, he’ll boost his 2023-25 appearance count to 150, adding another $1MM to its value. If he appears in seven of Tampa Bay’s final 22 games, he’ll bump his 2025 appearance total to 60 and add yet another $1MM escalator onto the deal.

A $12.5MM salary for a reliever is steep for the Rays, but Fairbanks has pitched a career-high 52 1/3 innings and logged a 3.10 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate en route to 24 saves. Even if the Rays were hesitant to commit $11.5MM or $12.5MM to a frequently injured reliever who’ll turn 32 in December, a team with lesser budgetary concerns would be willing to do. The option will very likely be picked up either way, but the steeper the cost, the likelier an offseason trade becomes.

Andrés Muñoz, RHP, Mariners

Muñoz’s four-year, $7.5MM contract has become one of the game’s great bargains. At the time of the agreement, he’d made just one appearance for the M’s and had only 23 2/3 major league innings under his belt due to Tommy John surgery. The four-year term bought out his final pre-arbitration year and all three arbitration seasons, while also giving Seattle options on his first three free agent years. It’s easy to say now that Muñoz would’ve earned more through arbitration, but it’s hard to blame a 22-year-old who’d scarcely pitched in the majors for locking in that life-changing payday, and there was some modest risk for the Mariners in the deal as well.

The first of those three option years has a $6MM base value, but Muñoz has already boosted that by $500K. He unlocked $250K option escalators when he reached 20 and 30 games finished on the season. He’s finished 39 games now, and he’ll hit additional $250K escalators when he finishes his 40th and 45th games of the season. The first of those is a lock, and the second is certainly within reach.

Muñoz’s contract also has an $8MM club option for 2027 and a $10MM club option for 2028. He can boost both those figures by $1MM with the same set of escalators based on his games finished in the next two seasons, and beginning next year, he can also earn an additional $2MM per season based on games finished.

John Means, LHP, Guardians

Coming off his second career Tommy John surgery, Means signed a one-year, $1MM deal with the Guardians. Cleveland knew full well he’d miss most of the season recovering from last summer’s UCL operation. Means has a $6MM club option, with no buyout. He can’t boost that sum any further, but he’s on the cusp of returning to the majors and making what’ll amount to a two- or three-start audition.

Means, 32, has made four minor league rehab starts and has pitched well. He’s tossed 13 1/3 innings and yielded four earned runs (2.70 ERA) on eight hits and five walks with 13 punchouts. He’d been slated to make his final rehab start today before being scratched with an illness, but a return to the majors could happen as soon as next weekend.

When healthy, Means has been a high-quality starter. He’s posted a 3.68 ERA in 401 big league innings, all coming with the Orioles. He’s a former Opening Day starter and All-Star for Baltimore who has twice topped 140 innings in a season. A pair of UCL surgeries has limited him to just 52 1/3 innings since Opening Day 2022, however.

The Athletic’s Zack Meisel suggests that as long as Means is healthy, the option will be picked up. The Guards have committed a full year to rehabilitating the talented lefty. And, as explored at MLBTR last night, Cleveland has an uncharacteristic need for some pitching upgrades. A $6MM gamble on Means isn’t exactly a pricey roll of the dice, but the Guardians are one of the sport’s lowest-payroll clubs. If Means returns next week and gets rocked in his only two or three big league starts this year, it doesn’t feel like a given that they’ll dedicate that $6MM sum to him. If he looks even close to his old form, it seems like a reasonable risk to take. His handful of starts will be worth watching with a careful eye for Cleveland fans.

Jose Urquidy, RHP, Tigers

Urquidy is in a very similar situation to that of Means. He’s rehabbing from a second career Tommy John surgery and signed a one-year, $1MM deal with a $4MM club option for the 2026 season. Like Means, he’s on a minor league rehab assignment right now and could be activated in the near future. The former Astros righty tossed three scoreless innings for Triple-A Toledo three days ago and has now pitched 14 2/3 minor league innings with a 4.30 ERA and a 12-to-3 K/BB ratio.

Urquidy and Means have nearly identical career innings totals, though Urquidy’s 405 frames have come in a more condensed five seasons. From 2019-22, the right-hander posted a 3.74 ERA with a 20.3% strikeout rate and 5.2% walk rate in 342 innings for Houston. He was hit hard in a 2023 season that was shortened by shoulder troubles (5.29 ERA in 63 frames) and didn’t pitch in 2024 due to the elbow/forearm discomfort that eventually prompted his Tommy John surgery in early June last year.

If Urquidy comes back anywhere close to that 2019-22 form, a $4MM option should be a no-brainer, but a rocky performance could give the Tigers reason to pause. Urquidy’s return will also be worth monitoring since he could pitch his way into postseason roster consideration for Detroit.

Tyler Kinley, RHP, Braves

Atlanta looked past Kinley’s dismal 5.66 ERA with the Rockies and acquired him in July, clearly believing that the hard-throwing righty was only a few tweaks away from success. It’s been a masterstroke. Kinley has pitched 13 2/3 innings and allowed just one run since being traded to Atlanta in exchange for 26-year-old Double-A righty Austin Smith. The Braves have Kinley throwing even more sliders and working with a slightly lower release point, and the results have been stellar — albeit in a small sample.

The Braves were out of the postseason chase by the time the deadline rolled around, so the mere fact that they traded for a potential free agent with a 2026 club option signaled that they were open to exercising that option in spite of his struggles. Kinley’s success in Atlanta makes it quite likely he’ll return, but there’s a good chance it won’t be at the $5MM base price of his value. His contract contains option escalators based on games finished, the first of which kicks in at 20. Kinley has currently finished 18 games this year, including three with Atlanta. If he finishes two more, he’ll boost next year’s option to $5.5MM — and he’ll also unlock a $500K bonus for the current season.

It’s not a major change, but those incentives would bump him from a $2.08MM luxury tax hit to $2.875MM. Assuming the options on Kinley, Pierce Johnson, Chris Sale, Ozzie Albies and Ha-Seong Kim are all exercised, Atlanta will have $207.5MM committed to next year’s books when the offseason begins (before accounting for arbitration raises).

Harrison Bader, OF, Phillies

Bader has proven to be a terrific pickup for the Phils, hitting .307/.374/.477 in his first 99 plate appearances since being traded over from Minnesota. He’s up to 406 plate appearances on the season, which is just enough for his incentive structure to kick in. The $1.5MM buyout on Bader’s $10MM mutual option jumped to $1.7MM when he reached 400 plate appearances, and it’ll climb to $1.9MM at 425 plate appearances and $2.1MM if he reaches 450. It’s a minor bump, but for a Phillies club that’s a third-time luxury payor in the top tier of penalization, they’ll pay a 110% tax on the prorated portion of that extra $600K.

Given the strength of Bader’s play, they’ll happily pay that, of course, and the increased buyout does nothing to change the fact that Bader will return to free agency this winter. It’s been over a decade since the last time both sides of a mutual option were exercised in MLB (Brewers, Aramis Ramirez in 2014). Bader’s plus defense and strong season at the plate should position him for a multi-year deal in the offseason.

Jorge Polanco, INF, Mariners

Polanco is nine plate appearances shy of converting his 2026 mutual option into a $6MM player option. He’s also already tacked $2MM onto his 2025 salary via plate appearance incentives, and when he hits the 450 mark needed to trigger that player option, he’ll unlock another $500K. That’ll bump the veteran switch-hitter up to a $9.5MM salary in 2025. He’d get another $500K if he can make it to 500 plate appearances, but it’s not a guarantee he’ll get 59 plate appearances in between now and season’s end.

Though he’s slumped considerably in the middle months of the season, Polanco has heated up again in the past three weeks. He’s slashing .254/.319/.471 with 23 homers and 17 doubles in only 441 plate appearances — miles better than the down year he had with the M’s in 2024 before undergoing offseason knee surgery. He’s played well enough that he’s probably going to decline a $6MM player option anyhow, but it’ll be a nice safety net in the event of an injury (so long as it’s not a lower-half injury, as his contract contains language that’d prevent the player option from kicking in if he’s dealing with an injury related to that offseason knee procedure).

Matt Strahm, LHP, Phillies

Strahm is on the cusp of having his contract’s 2026 option vest. While that originally came at a $4.5MM base value, he’s already boosted the option value to $6.5MM via $1MM escalators at 40 and 50 innings pitched. Once he reaches 60, the option value increases to its maximum $7.5MM. The contract also stipulates that if Strahm pitches 60 innings and passes a physical at the end of the season, it’ll automatically vest.

Strahm has been excellent in 2025, logging 56 1/3 frames of 2.88 ERA ball with a 27.9% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate. He’s saved six games and tallied 17 holds. The Phillies would’ve picked up the option anyhow, but this removes any doubt.

Lucas Giolito, RHP, Red Sox

Giolito’s two-year, $38.5MM contract with Boston couldn’t have started much worse. The typically durable righty went down with a UCL injury in spring training last year, ultimately requiring surgery that wiped out his entire 2024 season. His 2025 return didn’t appear to be going well early on, either. Through his first seven starts, the 31-year-old was shelled for a 6.42 ERA in just 33 2/3 innings.

Since June 10, however, Giolito has returned to form. He’s started 15 games, totaled 91 2/3 innings and logged a pristine 2.26 earned run average. His 21.1% strikeout rate and 8.6% walk rate in that time are both about half a percentage point worse than league average among starting pitchers, but it’s been a strong run overall, pushing his season ERA down to a tidy 3.38.

That turnaround would make Giolito’s $14MM club option likely to be picked up — but it’s not likely to remain a club option. The right-hander’s contract stipulates that with 140 innings pitched this year, that option converts into a $19MM mutual option with a $1.5MM buyout. With 125 1/3 innings under his belt, Giolito only needs another 14 2/3 frames in the final three weeks to convert that option to mutual status. If and when he reaches that point, Giolito is a lock to decline his half of the mutual option, collect that buyout and return to free agency in search of a multi-year deal. The Sox could — and likely would — counter with a qualifying offer, but the hefty contracts for mid-rotation arms like Eduardo Rodriguez (four years, $80MM), Sean Manaea (three years, $75MM), Taijuan Walker (four years, $72MM), Jameson Taillon (four years, $68MM) and Luis Severino (three years, $67MM) in recent offseasons all suggest that Giolito can reasonably seek a pricey three- or four-year deal ahead of what’ll be his age-31 season.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/9-contract-options-to-keep-an-eye-on-in-september.html
 
Trea Turner To Undergo MRI Due To Hamstring Strain

4:17pm: Turner is slated to undergo an MRI tomorrow, according to a report from Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. Turner told reporters (including Lauber) that he hopes his current ailment proves to be milder than the hamstring strain he suffered last year that sidelined him for six weeks, but an exact timeline won’t be known until his test results come back.

2:58pm: Phillies shortstop Trea Turner made an early departure during the seventh inning of today’s game with the Marlins due to what the Phils announced as a right hamstring strain. A throwing error from Miami shortstop Otto Lopez allowed Turner to reach base, but Turner immediately left the field and headed into the Phils’ dugout, and was replaced by pinch-runner Edmundo Sosa.

Manager Rob Thomson will provide more of an update in his postgame meeting with reporters, but it surely looks like Turner is heading for the injured list. The only question now is the severity of the strain, and whether or not Turner’s availability for the playoffs is now in question. Philadelphia entered today’s action with a healthy seven-game lead in the NL East, and with the second-best record of the division leaders, the Phillies would receive a first-round bye if the postseason began today. Securing the bye gains even greater importance for the Phils if Turner needs a few more days to recover.

Losing Turner would be another huge blow to a Phillies roster that will already be without ace Zack Wheeler for the playoff run. Turner has been not just Philadelphia’s best all-around player but one of the top players in all of baseball in 2025 — his 6.5 fWAR ranks fourth in the league, topped only by Aaron Judge, Cal Raleigh, and Bobby Witt Jr.

Turner launched his 15th home run of the season today, and the shortstop is now hitting .305/.356/.458 over 637 plate appearances. On top of his 125 wRC+ and 36 stolen bases (in 43 attempts), perhaps the biggest story of Turner’s season is his enormously improved glovework. After posting subpar defensive metrics across the board in 2023-24, Turner has quieted whispers about a possible move to the outfield by delivering +16 Outs Above Average and +2 Defensive Runs Saved from the shortstop position.

Durability has also been a big part of Turner’s production, as he has missed just three of Philadelphia’s games all season. Sosa is the only other player who has gotten any time at shortstop this year, and while the utilityman is a decent replacement, naturally he brings a lot less than Turner in terms of overall productivity. Bryson Stott could also handle some shortstop in a pinch, and Otto Kemp could be called up from the minors to then provide more infield depth if Sosa is taking on more of an everyday role. Star shortstop prospect Aidan Miller is having a big season at Double-A, but it doesn’t seem too likely that the Phils would have Miller bypass Triple-A and toss him into the pressurized environment of a pennant race.

The pickings are slim in terms of external help, as any player acquired off a big league roster isn’t eligible for postseason play. The Phillies can only trade for minor leaguers who haven’t yet appeared either in the Show or on a 40-man roster in 2025, or they can pick up players via the waiver wire. If a team wants to shed some money off the books by designating a shortstop for assignment, the Phils might be more inclined to make a claim if Turner will miss significant time.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/trea-turner-leaves-game-due-to-hamstring-strain.html
 
Phillies Place Trea Turner, Alec Bohm On Injured List

The Phillies placed shortstop Trea Turner and third baseman Alec Bohm on the 10-day injured list, reports Matt Gelb of The Athletic. Otto Kemp and Donovan Walton are up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to take their roster spots. Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic reports that the Phils are moving reliever Daniel Robert from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man roster spot for Walton, whose minor league contract was selected. Turner has a Grade 1 hamstring strain, manager Rob Thomson tells the Phillies beat (link via Lochlann March of the Philly Inquirer).

Bohm is battling left shoulder soreness. Gelb reports that the third baseman has been plagued by a bothersome cyst that’ll need to be drained and treated with an injection. There’s nothing structurally amiss, however, and Thomson expressed confidence it’ll be a minimal 10-day IL stint. The Phils have a comfortable enough seven-game lead in the NL East that they can afford that absence. Their margin over the Dodgers for the #2 placement in the National League and the associated first-round bye is smaller, but they’re still four games up in that race.

Turner suffered a hamstring strain during Sunday’s game. An injured list stint was inevitable. The far more significant question was whether it’d threaten his availability for the postseason. Thomson left open the possibility that he’ll be back before the end of the regular season. That’d allow him to take a few at-bats to get up to speed before the playoffs. The Division Series are scheduled to begin on October 4. The Phillies would automatically qualify as long as they hang on to the #2 seed. That’d give Turner a month to get back to action.

Edmundo Sosa will take over shortstop for as long as Turner is out of action. Kemp will jump from Lehigh Valley to regular playing time in Philly for at least a week and a half. He’s starting at third base tonight and batting ninth against Mets rookie right-hander Nolan McLean. Walton will replace Sosa as the team’s utility infielder.

It’ll be the first major league action of the season for the 31-year-old Walton. Philly acquired him from the Mets at the beginning of July. Walton was playing on a minor league deal with New York and was assigned to Lehigh Valley. He was batting .222/.315/.377 in 73 games with the Mets’ affiliate. His numbers have picked up since the trade. Walton has hit .339/.413/.424 with almost as many walks as strikeouts across 209 plate appearances for the IronPigs.

A former fifth-round pick of the Mariners, Walton has played parts of five seasons in the majors. The lefty batter has played in 70 games and carries a .174/.227/.305 line against big league pitching. Walton’s value lies primarily in his defensive flexibility. He’ll provide cover throughout the infield and has experience in left field (though the Phils have enough outfield depth that he probably won’t get much time there).

Walton was in the organization before September 1. That means he’s eligible for the postseason even though he was not on the 40-man roster until today. The Phils will hope to have Turner and Bohm back in plenty of time so that doesn’t need to be a consideration. Walton is out of options, so the Phillies would need to designate him for assignment to take him off the roster during the regular season.

Robert just went on the injured list last week with a forearm strain. His season is over. He made 15 appearances in an up-and-down role this season, allowing seven runs across 13 innings. The Phils acquired him in a DFA trade with Texas in May. They’ll need to reinstate him to the 40-man roster or put him on waivers at the start of the offseason.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/phillies-to-place-trea-turner-alec-bohm-on-injured-list.html
 
Phillies Designate Matt Manning For Assignment

The Phillies announced that they have selected the contract of right-hander Walker Buehler and placed left-hander Jose Alvarado on the 15-injured list, moves which were previously reported. Alvarado’s injury wasn’t specified in that earlier reporting but the Phils announced it as a left forearm strain, retroactive to September 11th. The severity is still unclear. To open a 40-man spot for Buehler, righty Matt Manning has been designated for assignment.

Manning, 27, has never thrown a pitch for the Phillies at the big league level. He was designated for assignment by the Tigers on the day of this summer’s trade deadline and quickly flipped to the Phils, with minor league outfielder Josueth Quinonez heading the other way. Manning didn’t pitch for a month after being acquired. It’s unclear if that was due to an injury or if his new team was having him work on some kind of mechanical adjustment.

He recently returned to the mound in the minors. He made two starts for Double-A Reading in the past two weeks, logging five innings combined with six earned runs allowed. He struck out eight and allowed just three hits but gave out seven walks, hit one batter and also threw two wild pitches.

Since he’s been bumped off the 40-man roster after the trade deadline, he’ll be on the waiver wire in the coming days. If he garners any interest, it would be based on his past pedigree. The Tigers took him with the ninth overall pick in the 2016 draft. He was ranked as one of the top prospects in the league for several years after that but hasn’t been able to deliver on that potential. From 2021 to 2024, he tossed 254 innings for Detroit with a 4.43 ERA. His 7.8% walk rate was good but he only struck out 16.4% of batters faced.

The Tigers kept him in the minors this year. He tossed 50 2/3 innings on the farm with a 6.04 ERA. He struck out 22.4% of opponents but also gave out walks at a 15.9% clip. The Phils tried to buy low on him but that doesn’t seem to have worked out.

Manning is in his final option year and will therefore be out of options starting next year. That will make it harder for him to keep a roster spot going forward. Given his past status as a top prospect, perhaps some club grabs him off the wire now. If some team does take a flier on him and manages to keep him on the roster, Manning can be controlled for four seasons after this one.

Photo courtesy of Mike Watters, Imagn Images

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/phillies-designate-matt-manning-for-assignment.html
 
Phillies To Select Walker Buehler, Place José Alvarado On IL

The Phillies are going to select right-hander Walker Buehler to the roster to start tonight’s game. Left-hander José Alvarado will be placed on the injured list to open an active roster spot, per Matt Gelb of The Athletic. The nature of Alvarado’s injury is unclear. The Phils will also need to open a 40-man roster spot.

Buehler signed a minor league deal with the Phils a couple of weeks ago, after he had been released by the Red Sox. It was a bit of a surprise that Boston let him go, if only because they had made a notable $21.05MM commitment to him this year, but the move was also justified by Buehler’s poor performance.

Earlier in his career, Buehler was arguably an ace. While pitching for the Dodgers, he twice finished in the top ten in National League Cy Young voting, including a fourth-place finish in 2021. But he missed the 2023 campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery, the second such procedure of his career, and hasn’t looked the same since. From the start of 2024 until the present, he has logged 187 2/3 innings with a 5.42 earned run average, 17.4% strikeout rate, 9.7% walk rate and 45.1% ground ball rate.

Despite his recent struggles, he was a sensible pick-up for the Phils. They recently lost Zack Wheeler due to a blood clot/thoracic outlet syndrome diagnosis. Even without Wheeler, they had a solid rotation group consisting of Aaron Nola, Ranger Suarez, Jesús Luzardo, Cristopher Sánchez and Taijuan Walker. But bringing in Buehler added another arm at no extra cost. Since the Sox released him, they are on the hook for the majority of his remaining salary. The Phils will only have to pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster.

At this point, it’s unclear exactly how long he will spend on the roster. The Phils are currently in the midst of a stretch where in they play 15 days in a row. After today, there are five more games in that span. They then only play three times in the following five days, before finishing out the schedule with six in a row.

It’s possible this is just a spot start to give the starters some extra rest during a tough part of the schedule. After today, it would make sense to go back down to five guys. The Phils are cruising to a playoff spot and also to a bye through the Wild Card round. They have an 11-game lead over the Mets in the East and will surely win that division. They are two games behind the Brewers for top spot in the National League but 4.5 games clear of the Dodgers.

That comfortable position could entice them to rest some of their starters. But on the other hand, since they are likely to be sitting out the first round, the pitchers are already looking at having almost a full week off between the regular season and the Division Series round. In order to avoid rust build-up, they may want their pitchers to keep throwing all the way through the end of the schedule. Time will tell if Buehler sticks around with the aim of making another start, gets moved to a long relief role or bumped back off the roster entirely.

As for Alvarado, his absence shouldn’t be too consequential, especially in the short term. He’s been putting up good numbers this year but isn’t eligible for the postseason due to the PED suspension he received earlier this year. His absence hurts the bullpen for the final few weeks of the regular season but, as mentioned, the Phils are in a pretty comfortable position in the playoff picture.

If it’s a long-term injury, then that would be more notable. The club has a $9MM club option for his services in 2026 with a $500K buyout. Naturally, a serious injury that would extend into next year could impact the club’s decision on that option.

Photo courtesy of Brian Fluharty, Imagn Images

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...walker-buehler-place-jose-alvarado-on-il.html
 
Phillies Notes: Wheeler, Romano, Turner, Bohm

The Phillies have been without ace right-hander Zack Wheeler in their rotation since August 15, and late last month it was announced that he had been recommended for surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome. Today, the Phillies revealed to reporters (including Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic) that Wheeler is set to go under the knife on September 23.

At the time of the club’s original announcement about Wheeler needing surgery, it was suggested that the procedure typically came with a 6-8 month recovery timeline. Assuming that holds true, Wheeler going under the knife later this month would mean that he could return to the Phillies’ rotation sometime in the first half of 2026. A best case scenario would seem to suggest that he’d miss the first few weeks of the regular season, with the longer end of that projected timeline getting Wheeler back on the mound a couple of weeks before the All-Star break. Of course, timelines like this are all largely hypothetical until the procedure actually occurs, and even afterwards there’s always the possibility of a setback or other developments changing the time table even further.

Still, the idea that Wheeler should be back on the mound at some point in the first half next year should surely be encouraging for fans in Philadelphia. The unquestioned ace of the club’s rotation, Wheeler has become more important to the team than ever as Ranger Suarez enters what could be the final weeks of his Phillies tenure with free agency coming up in November while Aaron Nola scuffles through a career-worst season. Cristopher Sanchez’s emergence as a legitimate front-of-the-rotation arm will go a long way to helping the team get by without Wheeler to take the lead, but it nonetheless goes without saying that the sooner the 35-year-old can return to the mound, the better off the organization will be.

The club’s news on injured right-hander Jordan Romano offers less reason for optimism. Romano has been on the shelf since August 26 due to finger inflammation, and today manager Rob Thomson provided the update to reporters (including Varnes) that Romano has been feeling numbness in his middle finger and stiffness in his neck. Thomson went on to suggest that it could be a “nerve thing” that Romano is dealing with, though he did not elaborate beyond that.

Romano has had a tough season with the Phillies after signing a one-year deal this winter. He’s pitched to a brutal 8.23 ERA in 42 2/3 innings of work this year despite solid peripherals (including a 3.65 SIERA) thanks in large part to an unbelievably low 49.0% strand rate after entering the season with a career 81.3% figure. While it’s not impossible to imagine Romano righting the ship if he can only come back healthy, the possibility of a lingering nerve problem being the cause of his inflammation would seemingly create pessimism about his ability to return this season and help the Phillies out during the postseason before he returns to free agency in November.

There’s more optimistic news to be had on the positional side of things, at least, as both Alec Bohm and Trea Turner are both making progress as they look to return from the injured list. Both players were placed on the shelf on September 8. Bohm was dealing with shoulder soreness, while Turner had been diagnosed with a grade 1 hamstring strain. With the Phillies in the thick of the playoff race and in position to claim a bye through the Wild Card round of the postseason, getting the left side of the club’s infield back in action as soon as possible would be a massive boost. Fortunately, Varnes relays that Turner did some running and played catch today with an eye towards swinging a bat later this week, while Bohm is already set to hit off a tee today.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/phillies-notes-wheeler-romano-turner-bohm.html
 
Matt Strahm Triggers Vesting Option

Phillies reliever Matt Strahm completed a perfect eighth inning for a hold tonight against the Dodgers. In the process, he crossed the 60-inning threshold and vested a $7.5MM option for the 2026 season. The southpaw will still need to pass a postseason physical for the option to go into effect.

Strahm initially joined the Phils on a two-year, $15MM free agent contract during the 2022-23 offseason. That has turned into an excellent value for Dave Dombrowski’s front office. Strahm turned in a 3.29 ERA across 87 2/3 innings during his first season with the club. Philadelphia signed him to a one-year extension for the 2025 season before the ’24 campaign even got underway.

The 33-year-old Strahm has responded with arguably the best two years of his career. He worked to a 1.87 ERA over 66 appearances a year ago and holds a 2.83 mark in 60 1/3 frames this season. His velocity has ticked down, but he’s still punching out 28% of batters faced against an 8% walk rate. He carried a solid 11.7% swinging strike percentage into tonight’s performance.

Philly has increasingly leaned on Strahm as one of their top bullpen weapons. He has a career-best 21 holds. In the second half, only closer Jhoan Duran has entered in higher-leverage situations on average. Strahm is alongside David Robertson and Orion Kerkering as the Phils’ top setup arms going into the playoffs. José Alvarado is ineligible for the postseason because of his failed performance-enhancing drug test. Strahm and Tanner Banks will go into October as manager Rob Thomson’s top two southpaws, while waiver pickup Tim Mayza looks like a borderline candidate to make the playoff roster.

The Phillies would very likely have exercised Strahm’s option even if he had fallen shy of the 60-inning mark. Philadelphia will be happy to retain him on an affordable salary for a leverage reliever. Duran will be back in the ninth inning, while Kerkering and Banks remain under control for multiple seasons. The Phils hold a $9MM option on Alvarado, whose season ended last week when he was diagnosed with a forearm strain.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/matt-strahm-triggers-vesting-option.html
 
Phillies Select Rafael Lantigua

The Phillies announced they’ve selected infielder Rafael Lantigua onto the big league roster. He replaces Edmundo Sosa, who heads to the 10-day injured list (retroactive to September 13) with a right groin strain. Philly needed to create a spot on the 40-man roster, so they designated outfielder Brewer Hicklen for assignment.

Lantigua gets his first major league call at age 27. A 5’7″ infielder, he signed with the Blue Jays as an amateur from the Dominican Republic. The righty-hitting utilityman played in the Toronto system through the end of last season. He spent two and a half seasons at Triple-A Buffalo without getting a major league call. Lantigua departed the organization last winter as a minor league free agent, catching on with the Phils on a non-roster deal.

Philadelphia assigned Lantigua to their top minor league affiliate. He has hit .232/.359/.333 across 491 trips to the plate for Lehigh Valley. Lantigua’s batted ball metrics and power numbers are unimpressive, but he has a clear understanding of the strike zone. He has walked at a huge 15.7% clip while rarely chasing pitches off the plate. He pairs that with plus bat-to-ball skills and a tidy 14.3% strikeout percentage.

Lantigua is mostly a second baseman. He has logged 661 innings there while tallying a little over 300 frames at third base. He has made a handful of starts at shortstop and in left field as well. Last month, Baseball America surveyed minor league managers on the various tools for rookie-eligible players. Lantigua was named the International League’s top defensive second baseman.

It could be a brief stay on the big league roster. The Phils are without each of Trea Turner, Alec Bohm and Sosa for the time being. Turner has a Grade 1 hamstring strain and is trying to make it back before the end of the regular season. Sosa will miss at least a week. Bohm could be back by this weekend’s series in Arizona, however, which probably pushes an infielder back to the minors. Bryson Stott is at shortstop tonight, leaving Weston Wilson and Otto Kemp at second and third base, respectively. Lantigua and the out-of-options Donovan Walton are available off the bench.

Hicklen landed with Philly in late July in a DFA trade with the Tigers. The 29-year-old has been on optional assignment to Lehigh Valley for the past two and a half months. Hicklen has turned in a .218/.293/.437 slash with eight homers but a near-32% strikeout rate over 32 games. He owns a .221/.318/.403 line between the Detroit and Philadelphia farm systems this year overall. Hicklen made one appearance for the Tigers, going 2-3 with a walk and a stolen base at Coors Field on May 8. He’ll be placed on waivers this week.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/phillies-select-rafael-lantigua.html
 
Phillies Outright Matt Manning

The Phillies announced that Matt Manning has been outrighted to Double-A Reading. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment on Saturday as the corresponding move for Walker Buehler’s promotion.

It’s the first career outright assignment for Manning, the ninth overall pick in 2016. The Tigers draftee was part of a touted contingent of pitching prospects that also included Tarik Skubal and Casey Mize. Manning hasn’t had anywhere near the same level of success as Mize, much less approached Skubal’s ace form. The lanky right-hander started 50 games for Detroit between 2021-24. He pitched to a 4.43 earned run average with a well below-average 16.4% strikeout rate across 254 innings.

Manning has not spent any time in the majors this season. Detroit optioned him fairly early in Spring Training. They’d used him mostly out of the bullpen in Triple-A, but that didn’t spur much success. He was carrying a 6.04 ERA over 31 appearances when the Tigers designated him for assignment at the trade deadline. They flipped him to Philly for a low minors outfielder (Josueth Quinonez). The Phils sent Manning back to Double-A, where he walked seven batters and allowed six runs in five innings over a pair of starts.

The 27-year-old Manning will finish the season in the Phils organization. He’ll become a minor league free agent at the end of the season unless Philadelphia adds him back to the 40-man roster within the next few weeks. He should be able to find a minor league contract somewhere over the winter.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/phillies-outright-matt-manning.html
 
Phillies Activate Alec Bohm, Outright Brewer Hicklen

The Phillies activated third baseman Alec Bohm off the 10-day injured list, and optioned infielder Rafael Lantigua to Triple-A in the corresponding move. In another transaction, the club also outrighted outfielder Brewer Hicklen to Triple-A after Hicklen (who was designated for assignment earlier this week) cleared waivers.

Bohm returns after a minimal stint, as his retroactive IL placement date was September 8. A left shoulder cyst was the cause of Bohm’s absence, as he had to have the cyst drained and treated in order to correct the discomfort in his non-throwing arm. The issue wasn’t seen as serious, so taking 10 days to fix the problem now gives Bohm some time to get back to action and get ramped up in advance of the playoffs.

Over 464 plate appearances this season, Bohm has hit .272/.319/.384 with nine home runs, translating to a subpar 94 wRC+. It has been a up-and-down season for the third baseman, with injuries have been the story of his second half. Between a fractured rib and his shoulder cyst, Bohm has been limited to just 20 games since the All-Star break, and he has hit only .231/.282/.333 over 85 PA during those 20 games.

The Phillies have clinched the NL East and are likely going to receive a first-round bye, giving the club some extra time to get healthy. Bohm is now back, though the Phils are still short-handed in the infield with Trea Turner and Edmundo Sosa on the IL. These absences opened the door for Lantigua to receive his first call to the majors on Tuesday, but he’ll return to Lehigh Valley without an official MLB debut, as Lantigua didn’t receive any playing time during his cup of coffee in the Show.

Lantigua’s selection to the 40-man roster came at Hicklen’s absence, as Hicklen found himself DFA’ed for the third time this season. All three of those designations came with different teams. The Brewers DFA’ed Hicklen on Opening Day and then traded him to the Tigers a day later, and Philadelphia then swung a trade in late July after Detroit designated Hicklen again.

Though all of these travels, Hicklen has appeared in exactly one big league game in 2025 — he had two hits as the Tigers’ starting center fielder in an 11-1 win over the Rockies on May 8, as Detroit swept a double-header against Colorado. These were the first two hits of Hicklen’s brief Major League career, which consists of 10 games with the Royals, Brewers, and Tigers from 2022-25.

Most of Hicklen’s playing time has come in Triple-A ball over these last four seasons, with a solid .240/.346/.464 career slash line in 1731 PA at the top minor league level. His numbers have taken a dip this year, however, as Hicklen has topped out at a .730 OPS while playing with the Phillies’ and Tigers’ top affiliates. Unless a late injury changes Philadelphia’s plans, Hicklen will likely finish 2025 in Lehigh Valley. He hasn’t been previously outrighted in his career and he has much less than three years of MLB service time, so Hicklen wasn’t able to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/phillies-activate-alec-bohm-outright-brewer-hicklen.html
 
Nick Castellanos Criticizes “Questionable” Communication With Rob Thomson

Nick Castellanos has gone from being the Phillies’ everyday right fielder into a platoon with Max Kepler, in a reflection of how both players have delivered underwhelming numbers in 2025. The change has been a little more jarring for Castellanos given his longer history with the team and longer track record as a lineup regular, and it is clear that the veteran isn’t pleased with how things have played out.

Speaking with the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Scott Lauber and other media after yesterday’s 8-2 win over the Diamondbacks, Castellanos stressed that he is “here to do whatever I can to make sure that Philadelphia wins a World Series ring,” and that any talk that he is unhappy “would be creating a narrative.” However, he also indicated some hard feelings towards manager Rob Thomson, rhetorically asking “who says that?” when a reporter noted that Thomson has been praised for his directness by several players.

Communication over the years has been questionable, at least in my experience…. There’s just been times where things have been said, and then, over the course of years, I’ll have expectations because I’ll latch on to what’s being said and then actions would be different,” Castellanos said. “And then I’m kind of left just thinking and whatnot. But again, like it is what it is. Adapt, do what I can. At the end of the day we’re here to win a World Series.”

While Castellanos’ comments indicate a longer-lasting issue, the relationship between player and manager drew public attention on June 17, when Castellanos was benched for the Phillies’ 8-3 loss to the Marlins. The previous night, Thomson said Castellanos made an “inappropriate” comment after being removed from the game for defensive purposes, and the outfielder was sat out a game as punishment. Missing that June 17 contest snapped a personal streak of 236 consecutive games played for Castellanos.

As to how the two are communicating lately, Castellanos (perhaps tellingly) referenced playing time, saying “I don’t really talk to Rob all that often. I play whenever he tells me to play, and then sit whenever he tells me to sit.”

Disputes between players and managers are as old as baseball itself, so while Castellanos’ candor about the situation is newsworthy, it may not create any short-term issues within the Phillies’ clubhouse. Despite Castellanos’ displeasure, the numbers also suggest that the platoon is working — since the start of September, Kepler is hitting .263/.373/.500 over 51 plate appearances, and Castellanos is batting .323/.353/.548 in 34 PA.

Even with this recent hot streak, Castellanos has still managed only a 94 wRC+, and an overall slash line of .255/.299/.411 (with 17 homers) over 566 PA. Between his subpar offense and lackluster defense, Castellanos has been worth -0.4 fWAR this season — the second time in his four years in Philadelphia that the veteran has posted a sub-replacement performance.

All in all, Castellanos has generated 1.0 fWAR and an exactly average 100 wRC+ over his four seasons with the Phillies. It wasn’t what the team expected when signing the slugger to a five-year, $100MM free agent deal, and the final $20MM of that contract is still owed to Castellanos for the 2026 season. While that isn’t an insignificant sum for a team to just eat, it is fair to wonder if the Phillies might consider simply releasing Castellanos this winter, unless a trade can be worked out that would still very likely require the Phils to cover the bulk of the remaining salary.

For now, Castellanos is simply focused on the playoffs, and refused to consider his future with the Phillies. “Why would I do that in front of what we have ahead of us? That would be really selfish and take away from what we’re trying to do as a group….I’m here to win. [Owner] John Middleton is paying me money so that I can help the Philadelphia Phillies win a World Series,” he said.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...stionable-communication-with-rob-thomson.html
 
Phillies Designate Donovan Walton For Assignment

The Phillies announced today that infielder Edmundo Sosa has been reinstated from the 10-day injured list. To open an active roster spot for him, fellow infielder Donovan Walton has been designated for assignment.

Walton, 31, appeared in only two games for the Phils at the MLB level this season. He went 1-for-8 with a single and a sacrifice bunt in that brief look. That was his sixth season with at least some major league time, though the journeyman utility player has never topped 78 plate appearances in a given MLB campaign. In 72 games and 214 plate appearances between the Mariners, Giants and Phillies, Walton is a career .172/.223/.298 hitter.

As one would expect, Walton is a far better hitter in the upper minors. He’s played in parts of five Triple-A seasons and touts a much more impressive .281/.365/.435 batting line in 1479 trips to the plate. On top of that solid track record at the top minor league level, Walton is a versatile defender who’s logged nearly 3200 innings at second base and more than 2900 innings at shortstop in addition to shorter stints at third base (208 innings) and in left field (244 innings).

Walton is out of minor league options, so the Phillies couldn’t send him to Triple-A without first designating him for assignment. Even if he clears waivers — the only possible action for the Phils now that the trade deadline has passed — he’ll have the ability to elect free agency over a minor league assignment. And, even if he were to accept an outright assignment and stick with Philadelphia as a depth option for the remainder of their 2025 run, Walton can become a minor league free agent at season’s end.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/phillies-designate-donovan-walton-for-assignment.html
 
MLBTR Podcast: The Tigers And Astros Try To Hang On, And Brewers’ Rotation Issues

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…


Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Why do people keep suggesting the Cardinals trade Brendan Donovan? (30:25)
  • Who will the Phillies re-sign out of their impending free agents? (41:00)
  • What was the revenue sharing for each club last year? (48:00)

Check out our past episodes!


The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...y-to-hang-on-and-brewers-rotation-issues.html
 
Trea Turner Remains On Track To Return For NLDS

Trea Turner has been sidelined since he strained his right hamstring on September 7. The Phillies have maintained for the past three weeks that they believe their star shortstop would be ready for the postseason. Manager Rob Thomson confirmed Thursday that’ll be the case, and the Phillies haven’t closed the door on Turner returning for their final regular season game or two (link via Matt Gelb of The Athletic).

“We want to make sure he’s 100 percent,” Thomson said of Turner’s chance of returning this weekend. “We know he’s going to be there for the playoffs. I think the work he’s done here has been very good. His timing is pretty good. … We’d like him to play, but is it super important? No. Not really. As long as he’s healthy.”

Philly has secured a first-round bye. They’re technically still in the running for the #1 seed, but that’s a long shot. They’d need to sweep Minnesota this weekend while relying on the Reds to sweep the Brewers. Activating Turner from the injured list would be about getting him a few tune-up plate appearances before the playoffs.

While the team’s success is obviously the top consideration, a return this weekend could aid him in a couple statistical categories. Turner is hitting .305, which puts him on track to win the second batting title of his career. Nico Hoerner was the only other qualified NL hitter above .300 entering play today, but he went 0-4 to drop to .299.

Turner may hang onto the batting title by default, but he’d probably need to come back if he’s to hold his league lead in hits. He’s still atop the Senior Circuit with 179 knocks, but Luis Arraez (176) and Hoerner (175) have pulled close behind while he’s been out. Turner has an outside shot to lead the majors in hits if he comes back tomorrow or Saturday. Bo Bichette, who is out with a knee sprain until the start of the postseason, has an MLB-high 181 hits. Bobby Witt Jr. pulled even with Turner for second place in a three-hit performance today. Turner led the majors in hits in consecutive seasons from 2020-21.

The three-time All-Star acknowledged that he’d like to win the batting title but noted to Gelb and other reporters that “the postseason is more important.” Turner has progressed to various baseball activities. He’s hitting against Phils’ minor league arms, fielding grounders, and running. Harrison Bader has moved to the top of the lineup in Turner’s absence. Bryson Stott was playing shortstop for a while but slid back to second base with Edmundo Sosa coming back from his own injury yesterday.

The Division Series begin next Saturday, October 4. Assuming the Phillies wind up as the #2 seed, they’ll line up for a potential first-round matchup with the defending champions. The Dodgers clinched the NL West and the third seed with a win today. They’d square off against the #2 if they defeat whichever of the Mets, Reds or Diamondbacks secures the last spot in the Wild Card round.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/trea-turner-remains-on-track-to-return-for-nlds.html
 
Phillies Outright Donovan Walton

The Phillies announced that infielder Donovan Walton has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. He had been designated for assignment a couple of days ago when fellow infielder Edmundo Sosa was reinstated from the injured list.

Walton, 31, was added to the Philly roster a few weeks ago when both Trea Turner and Alec Bohm hit the IL. He was hitting .339/.413/.424 for the IronPigs at the time. He lasted a little over two weeks on the big league roster but got into just two games. He went one for eight with a single and a sacrifice bunt in nine plate appearances.

Combined with his time as a Mariner and a Giant, he has now appeared in 72 big league games with a .172/.223/.298 slash line in 214 plate appearances. He has performed far better on the farm, with a .282/.369/.432 line and 111 wRC+ dating back to the start of 2021. He provides defensive versatility, with experience at all four infield spots and left field. But the lack of major league success and his out-of-options status make it hard for him to keep a roster spot for long.

Walton has previously been outrighted in his career. That means he has the right to reject this assignment and elect free agency. It’s possible he accepts since he would remain postseason eligible with the Phillies. Lehigh Valley’s season is done, so he wouldn’t need to actually report to that club. If a few injuries pop up for the Phillies, he could return to the big league roster. If he stays in the system and doesn’t get added back to the roster, he would be eligible for free agency at season’s end anyway.

Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/phillies-outright-donovan-walton.html
 
Matt Strahm Passes Physical, Guarantees 2026 Option

Phillies left-hander Matt Strahm is now officially on the books for 2026. According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the southpaw has passed the requisite end-of-season physical to lock in a $7.5MM salary next year.

The Phils and Strahm agreed to an extension in March of 2024. He was already under contract for the 2024 season, with the new pact adding a $7.5MM salary for 2025. It also included a club option for 2026 with a $4.5MM base salary. Strahm could increase the value of that option by $1MM by getting to 40 innings pitched in 2025, then another $1MM for 50 innings. If he got to 60 innings, it would bump by another $1MM to $7.5MM. It would also become guaranteed, as long as he passed an end-of-season physical.

Strahm went on to toss 62 1/3 innings for the Phils this year, allowing 2.74 earned runs per nine. He struck out 27.3% of batters faced while only giving out walks at a 7.8% pace. He recorded six saves and 22 holds, his fourth straight season getting to double digits in the latter category.

Given his solid production, the Phils were probably going to trigger Strahm’s option regardless, but he has now made it official. He’ll return to the club next year and should serve as a key lefty reliever in the Philadelphia pen once more.

As for the other lefties in the bullpen, the Phils will face a decision on José Alvarado, who can be brought back for next year via a $9MM club option or be bought out for $500K. He had a solid performance when on the mound this year, with a 3.81 ERA, 28.1% strikeout rate, 6.1% walk rate and 45.8% ground ball rate. However, he was limited to 26 innings due to an 80-game PED suspension and a September forearm strain. Tanner Banks had a 3.07 ERA this year and can be retained for next year via arbitration. Tim Mayza is an impending free agent.

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/09/matt-strahm-passes-physical-guarantees-2026-option.html
 
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