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Philadelphia Phillies rookie pitcher Mick Abel

The Philadelphia Phillies already found success fishing for Marlins. Might as well go back to the same spot and try to land another whopper. 

Just before Christmas last December, the Phillies acquired left-handed starter Jesús Luzardo and minor league catcher/outfielder Paul McIntosh from the Marlins in exchange for a pair of prospects, shortstop Starlyn Caba and outfielder Emaarion Boyd. Despite some recent struggles, the trade has been a success for the Phillies, with Luzardo allowing two runs or fewer in 12 of his 18 starts and striking out 115 batters in 97.1 innings while posting a 7-5 record. 

But while Luzardo has helped a starting rotation that leads Major League Baseball with 551 strikeouts and is tied for second with a 3.32 ERA, the Phillies bullpen has not fared so well, currently sitting 23 rd in the league with a 4.35 ERA. Fortunately for Philadelphia, its starting staff and top-heavy offense has been able to put the team in first place in the National League East , with playoff odds currently sitting at 95.7 percent. 

However, MLB analysts are generally in agreement that the Phillies must address their “leaky bullpen” if they want to go on an October run.  

Marlins Insiders Suggest Philadelphia Trade Mick Abel for Pair of Relievers

Perhaps Philadelphia’s president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski can give Miami’s front office a call. Kevin Barral and Sean McCormack of the Marlins-focused Fish on First blog have a suggestion that could work for both teams. 

The proposal: Philadelphia sends pitcher Mick Abel , a first-round pick (No. 15 overall) in the 2020 draft, in exchange for Marlins relievers Anthony Bender and Calvin Faucher . 

It’s a classic “give to get” scenario for the Phillies, and losing the 23-year-old Abel, their No. 5 prospect , would sting.  

After a steady climb through the farm system, Abel made his major league debut in a May 18 spot start for the injured Aaron Nola . Abel dazzled as he outdueled Paul Skenes in a 1-0 win over the Pirates, striking out nine Pittsburgh batters in the game to tie Curt Simmons’ franchise record for most strikeouts in a debut. 

Abel was brought back by the Phillies for a more extended turn in early June, but he struggled in his five starts, giving up 14 runs and 20 hits in 19 innings, while striking out 12 and walking nine. The Phillies sent Abel back to Triple-A Lehigh Valley after his latest start, as he gave up five runs in 1.2 innings on Wednesday in a 6-4 loss to San Diego.  

“Mick needed to go down and breathe a little bit,” manager Rob Thomson said . “Just get a little reset. It’s not uncommon.” 

What is uncommon is Abel’s pitching arsenal.  

The 6-foot-5 right-hander features a five-pitch mix that is led by a four-seam fastball in the mid-to-upper 90s. Abel also boasts a slider and a curveball that might be his best pitches, and he mixes in a sinker and changeup as well. While praising Abel’s pitching, Barral and McCormack surmised that Abel has been getting hurt by overuse of his fastball, suggesting a move to Miami would greatly benefit the youngster. 

“Becoming less four-seam centric has been a pillar of the Marlins’ new pitching philosophy and Abel could benefit greatly from the approach,” they wrote. “He has the stuff and specifically the secondary pitches to fit in perfectly with Miami.” 

Trading Mick Abel Could Bring Anthony Bender, Calvin Faucher to Philadelphia

For the Phillies, a swing like this is about shoring up the biggest soft spot on an otherwise World Series-caliber roster.  

Bender isn’t just another middle-inning arm — he’s the kind of power sinker-slider reliever who can get high-leverage outs when the lights get hot. After missing time with injuries earlier in his career, Bender has reemerged in 2025 as one of Miami’s few trade bright spots, posting a 2.13 ERA and ranking among the league’s leaders in sweeper usage and whiff rate on that pitch. 

Faucher might not have Bender’s raw whiff rate, but he’s quietly carved out value for Miami by being exactly what Philly doesn’t have enough of: a versatile arm who can survive multiple innings, bridge a short start, or come in to squash a brewing rally. Since moving full-time to the pen, Faucher’s splitter-slider combo has baffled righties and kept the ball in the park — a big ask in Citizens Bank come October.  

Neither of these pitchers have been listed very highly on the “most likely to be traded” boards, but they both represent the classic postseason bullpen piece: cheap, under control beyond this year, and nasty enough to handle seventh- and eighth-inning traffic.  

Philadelphia’s urgency here is real, and while the cost is high, this reliever duo would fill a need for the Phillies’ win-now roster. 

Dave Benson Dave Benson is a longtime writer with over three decades of experience in a variety of mediums, including 15 years covering high school, collegiate and minor league sports in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Dave is also a licensed English teacher and spent a few years teaching at the middle school level. More about Dave Benson