Will Phillies Use Mick Abel as Trade Chip After Historic Debut?

The Philadelphia Phillies and their fans were treated to a historic performance on Sunday.

Mick Abel, the once highly-touted pitching prospect before his struggles last year, tied the franchise record for most strikeout in a debut with nine against the Pittsburgh Pirates, outdueling phenom Paul Skenes in a pitching showdown that caught the attention of everyone in the baseball world.

Sticking to their original plan, the Phillies sent Abel back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley, but that performance is sure to resonate with many inside and outside the organization.

After his struggles in 2024, there were many talent evaluators who came out and reduced the ceiling of what they thought the right-hander could be, no longer stating that the 2020 first-round pick would become a top-of-the-rotation arm.

But after what he did in his debut, that notion might have changed.

Whether that happens with Philadelphia is yet to be determined.

At this point in time, it's safe to say the Phillies have too many starting pitchers.

While that is a rare statement when it comes to a Major League Baseball team due to the length of the 162-game schedule, Philadelphia has three aces in Zack Wheeler, Jesus Luzardo and Cristopher Sanchez, with the struggling Aaron Nola, resurgent Taijuan Walker and Ranger Suarez all in the mix behind that trio.

When superstar pitching prospect Andrew Painter gets called up later in the summer, that will be seven starting-caliber arms on the roster.

Because of that, there isn't a ton of room for Abel.

Will the Philadelphia Phillies Now Trade Mick Abel?

This makes him expendable, and after what he just showed during his debut, the Phillies could take advantage of that by using him as a centerpiece in a potential blockbuster deal to upgrade their roster.

"Abel has improved his stock. The Phillies, at some point, will have to evaluate whether Abel, 23, is more valuable to them as a trade chip or through some role in the majors. There are no plans to make Abel a reliever, although the team has discussed the idea in broad terms. Abel has momentum. There is no reason to disrupt it. He'd also fetch more in a potential trade as a starter," wrote Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required).

There are two things that stand out in his statement.

The first is how Philadelphia isn't planning on converting him to a reliever at this point in time, something they already did with another one of their top prospects -- Seth Johnson -- after he had a cameo last season as a starter but struggled.

Bryce Harper loosely threw out the idea before Abel's start that he could be used as a bullpen piece later in the year, and after the stuff that was displayed, that's not a bad idea.

But that leads into the second aspect of what the insider said about using Abel as a trade piece.

Young starting arms are coveted around the league, especially when it comes time for the deadline. And since the Phillies already have multiple options in the present and for the future, trading from their surplus could be the best course of action to win a World Series in 2025.

All of a sudden, Philadelphia might have one of the most sought after prospects in the sport.

Abel looks like a ready-made starting pitcher for a team who isn't trying to compete right now, and the Phillies could take advantage of that when the time comes.

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