The Philadelphia Phillies have stumbled out of the gate in 2026. Their offense has underperformed, and their pitching staff sits just 21st in MLB in ERA.
With ace Zack Wheeler still sidelined following shoulder surgery and yet to pitch this season, fans are clinging to the hope that his eventual return could spark a turnaround.
In the meantime, the Phillies have begun making moves to address their struggles—most notably by trading a top pitching prospect to the very team that knocked them out of last year’s playoffs.
Phillies Deal Griff McGarry to the Los Angeles Dodgers
According to Todd Zolecki of MLB.com, Philadelphia traded right-handed pitching prospect Griff McGarry to the Los Angeles Dodgers, as announced in an April 14 post on X.
In return, the Phillies will receive international bonus pool money and either a player to be named later or cash. The added bonus pool space will bolster their ability to sign international free agents and strengthen a farm system currently ranked 20th out of 30 MLB organizations.
As Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors noted, it’s unclear how much bonus pool space the Phillies are acquiring, though such trades must be made in $250K increments unless the remaining total is smaller. It’s likely the Phillies added one or two slots, giving them more flexibility to sign young international talent.
McGarry, 26, was a fifth-round pick in the 2021 MLB Draft but never reached the majors. Through five Triple-A outings this season, he posted a 9.00 ERA over four innings. Despite the rough start, his minor-league résumé includes a 4.21 ERA, 424 strikeouts, and a 1.35 WHIP across 108 appearances.
A top prospect as recently as 2023 when he ranked No. 3 in the organization McGarry reached Triple-A in 2022 but has struggled since. At that level, he’s made four starts and 45 total appearances, carrying an 8.48 ERA across 52 innings.
