Pass or Fail? Former MLB GM Grades Phillies Deadline Deals

The Phillies were buyers at the MLB trade deadline, adding a pair of big league pitchers and a minor league prospect in a deal with the Texas Rangers, along with Freddy Galvis in a separate deal with Baltimore.

In one deal, the Phillies acquired Ian Kennedy, Kyle Gibson, and Hans Crouse from the Rangers for Spencer Howard, Josh Gessner, and Kevin Gowdy. And in another deal, the deal acquired Freddy Galvis and cash considerations from the Orioles for Tyler Burch.

So now that the dust as settled, with Gibson and Kennedy already appearing in a game for the Phillies, and Gibson giving the team a very good debut outing. Former MLB GM Jim Bowden of The Athletic, handed out grades for the teams trades with the Phillies getting a B- for their deals at the deadline.

The Phillies were slow to the party but when they arrived, they did so in style, landing a solid starting pitcher (Gibson) and a back-end reliever (Kennedy) who are huge upgrades. The Phillies had difficulty making trades at the deadline because their farm system is so thin. They realized they had to trade their best pitching prospect to give them a better shot at the playoffs, so they opted to part with Howard in a six-player deal with the Rangers.