Phillies Getting Trade Interest on Galvis, Hernandez
With the 2017 Winter Meetings about a week away, the Phillies are fielding calls about some of their players. One position of strength for the Phillies right now is the middle infield. With as many as five starters for three infield positions, the Phillies naturally would consider moving some of them if the deal is right. Other teams know this, and have called the Phillies about two of their players.
Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (subscription required and highly recommended) is reporting that both Freddy Galvis and Cesar Hernandez have drawn interest. The San Diego Padres are interested in Galvis, while the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim remain interested in Hernandez. However, there seems to be a disconnect on the prices teams are willing to pay and what sense of urgency the Phillies have to move either player.
The Padres need a shortstop for 2018 while they wait for prospect Fernando Tatis, Jr. to be ready to take over the position. The Angels are in need of a second baseman (and have been for a few seasons) and Hernandez is a nice match. Whether or not Dee Gordon is also moved in a Giancarlo Stanton trade could help set the market. Craig Mish of Sirius XM radio reports that Gordon would be headed to the San Francisco Giants with Stanton should that deal be consumated.
Rosenthal notes that the Phillies are satisfied if they have such depth heading into the 2018 season. Meanwhile, Jim Salisbury of NBC Sports Philadelphia also writes that the Phillies are "comfortable" retaining both players if they do not receive sufficient value. The Phillies have some flexibility as they were able to mix and match positions late in 2017 and because second base prospect Scott Kingery could easily spend more time at Triple-A if necessary.
The Phillies should not create the impression that feel like they need to move some of their infielders, even if they would like to free up one or two spots. Galvis is a free agent after this season and with only his final year under contract would, right now would be a good time to receive value in return. As for Hernandez, the Phillies maintain three more years of control and should get real value in return.