The Phillies are still nowhere close to being done their rebuild after finishing ten games below .500 in 2016. When teams are rebuilding, talented players they have at the major-league level often turn into prospect talent to fill the farm system. The Phillies did this with Cole Hamels, and now rumors are swirling about Vince Velasquez.
At the trade deadline this year, the Texas Rangers inquired about Velasquez according to Jim Morosi of MLB.com and later were “pretty deep” in talks with the Phillies per Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly. More recently, MLB.