Brandon Marsh trade grades: Phillies pay a steep price

The Phillies landed a new outfielder at the MLB trade deadline in Angels centerfield Brandon Marsh.

The Philadelphia Phillies just got a centerfielder as they try to make the playoffs for the first time in over a decade. It was an unexpected move as they acquired CF Brandon Marsh from the Los Angeles Angels.

It was unexpected because the Angels have multiple years of control over the young outfielder, however, they deemed it worth it to trade him for top-100 prospect Logan O’Hoppe, who plays catcher.

The Phillies finally get a centerfielder in Brandon Marsh at a large cost

Phillies Trade Grade: B+

The Phillies did well to get a young centerfielder who isn’t a free agent until 2028. Marsh is able to play any outfield position and provides reliable defense. Marsh is a former top-100 prospect on multiple lists in prior years but has struggled in the MLB to hit.

Over his 163 games at the MLB level, he has hit .239/.299/.354 with an 82 OPS+. He has 10 home runs and 56 RBI with 14 stolen bases. Marsh has power and speed, but has to maintain better control at the plate to make better contact.

Despite his lack of production at the plate, Marsh has provided 1.1 WAR in his short MLB career at this point. At only 24 years old, he’s yet to his prime and could explode with better players around him. The biggest selling point for the Phillies is that he is a legitimate centerfielder. The Phillies badly needed a reliable defender in the outfielder. Marsh can provide that and more.

Angels Trade Grade: A

The Angels are starting a mini-rebuild. Either way, this trade is great for them. While they lose Marsh, they still have Trout and multiple outfield prospects on the way or in the majors like Jo Adell. In return for a player who is struggling right now, the Angels get a top-100 prospect in Logan O’Hoppe.

This is a massive return as he’s the Phillies’ No. 3 prospect and has All-Star catcher potential. It’s likely the Phillies were willing to trade him due to JT Realmuto blocking him at the MLB level.

O’Hoppe is only 22 and at the Double-A level. He’s a great defender with good framing skills. His arm is definitely playable. Plus, he hits! O’Hoppe is hitting .275 with a .888 OPS over 75 games so far this year. He’s added on 11 doubles, and 15 home runs and has walked an amazing 41 times compared to a meager 51 strikeouts.

O’Hoppe has speed too with six stolen bases. He’s the Angels catcher of the future. This is an excellent trade by them. It helps them far more than Marsh would have. They had a major organizational weakness at catcher. Logan fixes that.