Early on Sunday reports surfaced the Phillies were looking to cut salary and were open to listening to offers for starting pitcher Zack Wheeler.
Phillies owner John Middleton adamantly denied that there was any truth to the report.
“If they offered me Babe Ruth, I wouldn’t trade him,” Middleton told ESPN’s Buster Olney. “I have authorized no one to have a conversation about trading him.”
Middletown also added Ted Williams and Mike Schmidt for added emphasis.
Per Olney, the executives from other teams say the Phillies have communicated to others that they are facing financial obstacles and are open to listening to offers for Wheeler, though.
“They’re lying to you,” Middleton told Olney.
If the Phillies were to trade Wheeler for financial reasons, it would signal a shift in direction in how the team approaches the 2021 season and possibly beyond and raise questions about whether or not Bryce Harper – the team’s most expense player – would also be on the trading block.
It would also eliminate them from potentially re-signing free agent catcher J.T. Realmuto.
The Phillies have not made the playoffs since 2011 and went 28-32 in the 60-game 2020 season, missing the expanded eight-team playoffs by one game.
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