Phillies rumors: Priority trade deadline target gives Philadelphia plenty of competition

A top Philadelphia Phillies trade deadline target comes with plenty of competition

In a trade market that has reportedly put an emphasis on controllable starting pitching, Cleveland Guardians right-hander Zach Plesac has found his name thrown into the rumor-mill.

MLB insider Jon Heyman took to Twitter to mention the Philadelphia Phillies being a team with particular interest in acquiring the 27-year old. The Phillies are a team with an increasingly long list of upgrade-worthy spots on their active roster, including center field and bullpen help.

Unfortunately for this third-place Phillies club, there are a number of other teams pursuing Plesac in a potential deal with Cleveland including the Yankees, White Sox, Twins, Cardinals, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Brewers and Mariners (who likely are no longer in serious contention after landing Luis Castillo last night).

Phillies rumors: Zach Plesac on radar in trade talks

In Plesac, the Phillies are looking to bring aboard a pitcher with multiple years of team control left, which is exactly what he has, as he isn’t set to hit free agency until 2026.

Of course the Plesac name would not be a new one to the city of Philadelphia as Zach’s uncle Dan spent two seasons in Philly at the tail end of a career that saw him make three All-Star Game appearances across 18 seasons in the big leagues.

In the younger Plesac, Cleveland has had a quietly strong pitcher over the years. He doesn’t throw the ball very hard but he’s something of a control artist who is quite durable and has shown some flashes of greatness over his four-year big league career.

Now, the Guardians are by no means out of contention. The club sits at 51-48 entering the day and is just 1.0 GB of the Twins for the AL Central lead and 1.5 GB of an AL Wild Card spot. They don’t have to sell, so the asking price for a Zach Plesac would likely be pretty high.

With the widespread interest around the league, the Guardians are going to receive quite a few offers for him but the Phillies should do everything they can to be the highest bidder.

Behind aces Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, Kyle Gibson and Ranger Suarez have had their fair share of inconsistencies and Bailey Falter is still an unproven rookie. Plesac would slot in nicely in the rotation as a safe bet to take the mound every fifth day and keep the club in ballgames.