The Philadelphia Phillies have made it a priority to have a quality starting rotation. With Zach Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Cristopher Sánchez all locked up to lucrative contracts and other mainstays in the rotation being Jesús Luzardo and Ranger Suárez, there isn’t room for top prospects in the Phillies farm system to develop and become MLB-ready. Aside from Phillies top prospect Andrew Painter, who is rumored to make his MLB debut in 2025, anybody is tradeable in the farm. In a deal proposal by Athlon Sports,
the Phillies might attempt to send out eighth-ranked prospect Mick Abel and infielder Edmundo Sosa in return for Chicago White Sox righty-slugger Luis Robert Jr. This would give the 23-year-old Abel a chance to “revitalize” his young prospect status and potentially see big-league innings for the White Sox this season.
Abel has had a tough time finding his footing in the Phillies pipeline, and time may be running out for him to turn it around. In 24 starts in AAA Lehigh-Valley, Abel had a 6.46 ERA in 108.2 innings. Chicago may be looking to move off of Robert Jr’s six-year,
$50 million contract which hasn’t panned out thus far for the White Sox. He is another player who might gain from a change of scenery and would probably have greater success hitting in a Philadelphia ballpark that is more hitter-friendly. Despite having a poor 2024 season,
Robert Jr. crushed 38 home runs and 36 doubles in 2023 to earn a spot on the All-Star team. The White Sox could also use more veteran help to ease the pressure off their young prospects/core. With his good bat and defensive flexibility, 29-year-old Sosa would be a perfect match. He batted .257 over 249 at-bats in 2024. Both parties benefit from this trade.
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