Philadelphia Phillies were wise to keep these prospects, Rafael Marchan, Simon Muzziotti, Nick Maton

It was presented this year in spectacular fashion: farming systems can be built or broken before the Major League trade deadline.

The San Diego Padres have shipped the majority of their best talent, albeit for the greatest hitter of this generation, and now find themselves with a shell of a system that probably ranks as the worst consensus in the majors. The Cincinnati Reds, meanwhile, rocketed up the system’s ranking lists, thanks to the loot they received in exchange for right-handed ace Luis Castillo.

The Philadelphia Phillies were able to upgrade significantly this season, but did so while retaining the majority of their top prospects, maintaining both quality and quantity throughout their system. Believe it or not, the latter is rather important for a very heavy system like the one in Philadelphia.

Outside of the obvious Andrew Painter, Mick Abel and Griff McGarry, there were a few players the Phillies seemed determined to keep, and they’ll be glad they did.

Every year, without fail, it seems like something gets in the way of Símon Muzziotti’s ability to play a full, healthy year of professional baseball.

Obviously, without minor league baseball in 2020, Muzziotti was left on his own, like every other minor leaguer that season. Last year, visa issues robbed the young center fielder of valuable playing and development time, allowing him to play 20 tiny games across five tiers. This year, injuries have come and gone, as have infrequent cups of coffee with the big league roster. But now Muzziotti is finally seeing regular playing time with Double-A Reading – and he’s thriving.

The 23-year-old has made tremendous progress, both in power and plate discipline. In his last four games alone, Muzziotti has recorded ten hits, including five for extra bases. His five homers this season have already surpassed his previous combined totals in the minor leagues. Indeed, he has hit more home runs in 39 games for Reading in 2022 than he has in his entire minor league career.

Muzzy already showed off his glove plus and speed at the major league level earlier this year, and he’s got a decent arm too, but the offensive tools could be really appealing if that pop boost proves sustainable. He already works with an above-average punching tool and exceptional bat-to-ball skills.

The Phillies just traded their “center fielder of the future” to Brandon Marsh, but Muzziotti shouldn’t be ruled out as a future option. As if his three major league-ready tools weren’t enticing enough, it looks like he’s found a power shot, giving him a shot at becoming a major league regular.

Muzziotti slips during a major league spring training game.

One player who looked quite likely to be dealt before the deadline was Rafael Marchan. Like Logan O’Hoppe, who himself was traded hours before the deadline, Marchan is stuck at the major league level, and has already reached Triple-A at the age of 23. Adding fuel to the fire, the Phillies have an unnecessary number (4) of receivers on their 40-man roster, so it looked like either of Marchan or his IronPigs counterpart, Donny Sands, would be sure to move in. some trades before the deadline bell.

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This turned out not to be the case. So, Marchan stayed, and for that the Phillies should be delighted.

The young receiver has proven he can hang at the major league level, especially defensively, and was once a consensus top-five prospect in the Phillies system. After all, defensively, it’s hard to find switch catchers, especially when their punching tool is as highly rated as Marchan’s.

The resemblance between him and the aforementioned O’Hoppe is fascinating. Marchan has better punching tool overall, but lacks power, a trait O’Hoppe excels at. They are both relatively disciplined at the plate, although Marchan does less walking, but also less hitting. Additionally, both are good receivers and adept at catching runners on base paths. Perhaps the similarities between the two players are what made O’Hoppe much more consumable in the end.

Some rebounding between levels and intermittent injuries have likely skewed his value against other clubs, but for the Phillies, Marchan should be a great backup option. After all, when JT Realmuto’s current contract expires, Marchan will be just 26 years old.

Marchan takes care of expelling a runner at first base.

Nick Maton was another player on the 40-player roster whose name sparked the rumor mill. He had an inspiring year at Triple-A and showed the kind of potential he could achieve at the MLB level when he hit a home run, a triple and made some stellar defensive plays in two games with the big club. , before injuring his shoulder.

The 25-year-old infielder started hitting the ball more in the air, which, coupled with his already keen ability to find gaps, made him an interesting case. He’s posted 27 extra hits in 60 games with Lehigh Valley this year, including 21 doubles, and has a very good glove in multiple positions on the field. He has versatility on his side.

With the recent news of Didi Gregorius being released, the Phillies will now look to Maton as a utility man: someone to cover shortstop, second base and third base. He is an ideal candidate for a place on the bench next season, joining Edmundo Sosa, Matt Vierling and Garrett Stubbs.

Maton’s most interesting feature going forward isn’t his bat, or his glove: it’s his candlelight personality. He is highly regarded at the clubhouse, especially among the players he has found, and seems to bring an air of excitement with him whenever he joins the big club.

Perhaps he will be somewhat underutilized in a bench-only capacity, but it would be hard to find a better player or person than Nick Maton in the reserve infielder market.

Philadelphia Phillies were wise to keep these prospects, Rafael Marchan, Simon Muzziotti, Nick Maton

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