The priority trading objective gives the team a lot of competition

A top Philadelphia Phillies trade deadline target comes with a lot of competition

In a trading market that has reportedly placed an emphasis on controllable launch bias, Cleveland Guardian Right-hander Zach Plesac found his name in the rumor mill.

MLB insider Jon Heyman went to twitter to mention them Philadelphia Phillies a team with a particular interest in taking over the 27-year-old. The Phillies are a team with an ever-growing list of upgrade-worthy spots on their active roster, including midfield and bullpen assist.

Unfortunately for this third-ranked Phillies club, there are a number of other teams pursuing Plesac in a possible deal with Cleveland, including the Yankees, White Sox, Twins, Cardinals, Dodgers, Blue Jays, Brewers, and Mariners (who are unlikely to be there anymore ). serious fight afterwards Landing Luis Castillo last night).

Phillies rumors: Zach Plesac on the radar in trade talks

At Plesac, the Phillies are looking to bring on board a pitcher with several years of team control, which is exactly what he has since he won’t achieve a free hand until 2026.

Of course, the Plesac name wouldn’t be new to the city of Philadelphia, as Zach’s uncle Dan spent two seasons in Philly at the end of a career that included three All-Star Game appearances in 18 seasons in the big leagues.

In the younger Plesac, Cleveland has had a pretty strong pitcher over the years. He doesn’t throw the ball very hard, but he’s something of a control artist who has quite the stamina and has had a few highlights in his four-year big-league career.

Now the Guardians are by no means out of competition. The club is 51-48 a day and is only 1.0GB of Twins for the AL Central Lead and 1.5GB of an AL Wild Card spot. You don’t have to sell, so the asking price for a Zach Plesac would probably be pretty high.

Given the widespread interest in the league, the Guardians will get some offers for him, but the Phillies should do whatever they can to be the highest bidder.

Behind aces Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, Kyle Gibson and Ranger Suarez have had their fair share of inconsistencies and Bailey Falter is still an unproven rookie. Plesac would fit well into the rotation as a safe bet to take the mound every fifth day and keep the club in the ball game.