Phillies Shockingly Seen as Team Without an Untouchable Player

Aug 18, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Former Philadelphia Phillies president Dave Dombrowski during Phillies Alumni Weekend and the 20th anniversary of Citizens Bank Park before game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park. Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Phillies Shockingly Seen as Team Without an Untouchable Player

Originally posted on Philadelphia Phillies on SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated May 20, 2026 7:00 AM ET

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The Philadelphia Phillies have been one of the best teams in baseball of late and have won their last six series to climb back over the .500 mark. However, when looking at the state of the franchise, the slow start opened some eyes, and this roster might not be perfect.

With a (9-19) start to the year, the Phillies were one of the worst teams in the league to start the campaign, and there was plenty of panic. Philadelphia made the decision to fire their manager, Rob Thomson, and it created a great spark.

This is a mostly veteran group, and the team responded well to the firing of their manager. However, while the group will be relying on their veterans, some young players have been able to get a chance in the majors this year. So far, the results have been a bit mixed, and that might be a concern for the team going forward.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about one untouchable trade chip for every team. However, for the Phillies, they were shockingly a team that didn’t have one.

Lack of a Choice Highlights Major Concern

The Phillies being named a team that doesn’t have an untouchable player showcases a major flaw with the franchise. Most of the teams had either a top prospect or a young All-Star that was chosen, but Philadelphia is lacking in that department.

Due to the success in recent years, they have been active buyers on the trade market. That has undoubtedly impacted the farm system, but this is a team that has also had an issue developing star talent.

While the Phillies have a strong roster, a majority of the key players have been free agent signings. When looking at some of the young players like Justin Crawford or Andrew Painter, they could easily be traded if it resulted in a potential key piece coming back.

Even though it is understandable to see why a choice wasn’t made, it was a bit surprising to see Cristopher Sanchez not mentioned as the choice. While he does have a long-term contract in place already, he is one of the best pitchers in the league. However, at 29 years old already, he wouldn’t be considered a young talent anymore.

Going forward, while Philadelphia has a deep wallet to bail them out, developing and keeping some young talent that is homegrown would be good to see.

This article first appeared on Philadelphia Phillies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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