A Little Phillies Trade Diversion

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The trade deadline is stressful and it is a time of loss and new hope. Which of course is why after it I was left wondering how far back trade chains go after the Phillies traded Seth Johnson to the Athletics. Of course last night Sam McWilliams pitched against the Lehigh Valley IronPigs and kicked this diversion into high gear.

So here is the goal, look at all trades for players still in the system, not just the majors, and trace the chains and see if there is some good guy remembering. Also for the purposes of this tracking, if a player directly re-signs it is considered a continuous part of the trade. Players in Bold are the ones still in the org.

The Cash Trades

Nick Biddison (6/25/25), Carter Kieboom (3/24/26), Steward Berroa (4/8/26), and Kamron Misner (7/25/26) all were acquired for cash considerations. Congrats to Biddison on his promotion and lasting longer than most cash trades do.

The One for Ones

Sometimes trades are simple, and there is no thread to pull.

One Degree from Simplicity

When the second hop really isn’t a hop.

  • 6/18/2025 – RHP Nolan Hoffman for cash considerations
  • 8/3/2026 – RHP Manuel Colon for RHP Nolan Hoffman
  • 5/7/2024 – LHP Tyler Gilbert for cash considerations
  • 1/1/2025 – RHP Aaron Combs for LHP Tyler Gilbert

There are Just Multiple Pieces Involved

It isn’t complicated, you just have to balance both sides.

Is This Money Laundering?

  • 1/17/2025 – OF Dylan Campbell for International Signing Money
  • 6/11/2026 – OF Derek Hill and International Signing Money for OF Dylan Campbell and SS Jose Colmenares (Free Agent)

An Oldie But Goodie

It is a classic, you know, I know it.

  • 7/31/2015 – C Jorge Alfaro, RHP Jerad Eickhoff, RHP Alec Asher, RHP Jake Thompson, OF Nick Williams, and RHP Matt Harrison for LHP Cole Hamels (1st Round 2002) and LHP Jake Diekman (30th rd 2007 Draft)
  • 2/7/2019 – C J.T. Realmuto for C Jorge Alfaro, RHP Sixto Sanchez (International Free Agent), and LHP Will Stewart (20th rd 2015 Draft)

How Sam McWilliams Became Jose Alvarado

I am not sure you want to remember all of these guys.

  • 11/14/2015 – RHP Jeremy Hellickson for RHP Sam McWilliams (8th rd 2014 Draft)
  • 7/29/2017 – OF Hyun Soo Kim and LHP Garrett Cleavinger for RHP Jeremy Hellickson
  • 12/29/2020 – LHP Jose Alvarado for LHP Garrett Cleavinger (but Cleavinger went to LA and then to the Rays later in a totally unrelated trade)

What is it Called When You Trade a Paperclip Many Times for a Paperclip?

All of these moves happened under Dave Dombrowski, just one after another.

  • 11/19/2021 – C Donny Sands and RHP Nick Nelson for 3B T.J. Rumfield (12th rd 2021 Draft) and LHP Joel Valdez (International Free Agent)
  • 1/7/2023 – LHP Gregory Soto and 2B Kody Clemens for C Donny Sands, 2B Nick Maton (7th Round 2017 Draft), and OF Matt Vierling (5th rd 2018 Draft)
  • 7/30/2024 – RHP Seth Johnson and RHP Moises Chace for LHP Gregory Soto
  • 4/26/2025 – Cash Considerations for 2B Kody Clemens
  • 8/3/2026 – OF Colby Thomas for RHP Seth Johnson

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