Phillies’ Rising Starter Mick Abel Labeled an ‘Intriguing Trade Chip’

Phillies Rising Starter Mick Abel Labeled an Intriguing Trade Chip originally appeared on Athlon Sports.Fresh off a sweep at the hands of a last place Pittsburgh Pirates team, the Philadelphia Phillies are left staring into the eyes of their key vulnerabilities.

Philadelphia is already predicted to be among the most aggressive teams at the trade deadline, but while desperation may not be driving the second-place Phillies to make wild decisions, MLB writer Paul Casella floated an idea that might just fit that bill.

When discussing intriguing trade chips from each team, Casella offered Phillies starter Mick Abel as a candidate.

Abel is a former top prospect who slid down those lists a bit after struggling with command over the past couple seasons, but he seems to have figured it all out in 2025, he wrote of Abel.

He put up incredible numbers with Triple-A Lehigh Valley and has been lights out in a couple of starts for the Phillies.

Philadelphia Phillies starting pitcher Mick Abel (40) throws a pitch against the Pittsburgh Pirates in the third inning at Citizens Bank Park.Kyle Ross-Imagn ImagesAbel has thrown just 11.1 major-league innings this season but has done so in ace form, surrendering only one run.

In Triple-A, he owns a 2.21 ERA on the year.

Since the Phillies are dealing with significant pitching troubles that have recently ballooned in unison with Jesus Luzardos ERA, the chances of a Mick Abel trade are continually dropping.

Casella admits as much: Not too long ago, he seemed expendable with the Phillies' greatest strength being their rotation depth, but that's been tested recently with the injury to Aaron Nola and the sudden struggles of Jesus Luzardo.

That may give the Phillies pause when it comes to offering up Abel, but theyll have to listen to any offers that may help their needs in the bullpen or the outfield.

With Andrew Painter coming up soon, rotational depth might not be a big problem for much longer, but trading Abel this early might be ill-conceived given the number of uncertainties plaguing the Phillies.

However, if the Phillies do shop Abel, they may set themselves up to nab any coveted trade piece on the market.

Related: Phillies Make Major Zack Wheeler Announcement Ahead of Cubs SeriesThis story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared..

This article has been shared from the original article on yahoo, here is the link to the original article.