Phils and Red Sox Could Be a Good Fit

How signing a veteran infielder could help the Phillies rotation

Dylan Moore is a pretty good fit to be Edmundo Sosa’s stunt double.

The Phillies signed Moore, who has seven years of service time in the majors, to a minor league contract. It was just two seasons ago when Moore won a Gold Glove as a utility player. Moore’s issue - and this is where he and Sosa are different - is that he has never done much with the bat. His best season at the plate was in 2020 when he slashed .255/.358/.496/.854 with Seattle.

Defensively though, he and Sosa have a lot in common. First, he has started games at every position except pitcher and catcher, although he did come in “out of the bullpen,” pitched one inning and got horrendously shelled. Sosa also has never pitched, nor has he gone behind the plate. And, never has he ever played first base or right field in the majors.

So what are you trying to say?

What I’m getting at here is that the addition of Dylan Moore could make Sosa expendable. While Moore lacks the bat that Sosa has, he can play defensively just as well and gives the Phillies a right-handed infield or outfield bat to bring off the bench.

Where would Sosa be going? Boston. The Red Sox are in need of an infielder. They have rookie prospect Marcelo Mayer to fill the hole left by Alex Bregman at third base, but they still could use a second baseman. What would make Boston an interesting team for the Phillies to talk to? They have depth at starting pitching, thanks in no small part to signing former Phillies starter Ranger Suarez. The three pitchers mentioned most often in trade talks are Brayan Bello, Patrick Sandoval, and Jordan Hicks.

Scouting the trade targets

Bello throws a multi-pitch mix anchored by a high-velocity fastball and complementary breaking and off-speed offerings. His primary weapons include a four-seam fastball and sinker, both typically sitting in the mid-90s, as well as a sweeper, a circle changeup, and a cutter. The fastball/sinker combination, with both pitches near 95–97 mph, gives him the ability to attack hitters and induce weak contact or chase swings out of the zone, while his sweeper and change help him keep batters off balance.

Over time Bello has refined his sequencing and pitch usage, increasing the effectiveness of his sweeper and cutter while continuing to leverage above-average velocity across his arsenal.

Sandoval is a left-handed starter, who is a free agent at the end of the season. He made his major league debut in 2019 and spent several seasons with the Angels, including a strong 2022 campaign in which he posted a 2.91 ERA over 148.2 innings, but struggled with effectiveness and command late in his Angels tenure. In 2024, he logged a 2-8 record with a 5.08 ERA over 16 starts before experiencing a significant injury — a torn UCL and high-grade flexor tear — that led to Tommy John surgery, which cost him much of the 2024 and all of the 2025 season. He is throwing and ready for Spring Training and is expected to be ready to go. With Andrew Painter as a gauge though, remember that pitchers are generally not the same pitcher they were in their first full season back, and even into their second season back. There is no way to tell how the surgery could affect his pitch repertoire, velocity, and control, especially in the short-term.

Prior to the injury, Sandoval threw a four-seam and a two-seam fastball/sinker that have historically sat between 92–94 mph. Over time, Sandoval has adjusted how much he throws the pitches because of the emergence of his off-speed offerings. The key secondary pitches in his mix are a changeup, which has been one of his most effective weapons in getting swings and misses and weak contact. He also employs a slider that provides depth and break, with occasional use of a curveball and sweeper to keep hitters guessing. His strategy typically emphasizes movement and sequencing over pure heat, using the combination of arm speed and pitch variety to challenge hitters rather than overpower them.

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Jordan Hicks, 29, is a right-hander known for his elite velocity. He is also known primarily as a reliever, but started 20 games with the Giants in 2024 and nine more in 2025 prior to being dealt to the Red Sox as part of the package that brought Rafael Devers to the City by the Bay.

The Cardinals brought him to the majors in August of 2018. Early in his big-league career he was one of the hardest-throwing pitchers in baseball, routinely touching triple-digits with his fastball and establishing himself as a high-leverage reliever. However, his career has been marked by significant injury setbacks. In 2021, he suffered a torn latissimus dorsi muscle that sidelined him for most of the season, and in 2022 he underwent Tommy John surgery, which forced him to miss the entire 2023 season. After an extended recovery, Hicks returned to the Cardinals’ bullpen in 2024, gradually rebuilding arm strength and command following the major surgeries that have defined his recent career.

Hicks’ identity as a pitcher still centers around velocity and a power-heavy arsenal. His four-seam fastball — considered one of the best in the majors — frequently hits 102 mph. Complementing that heater, Hicks also throws a sweeping slider that serves as his primary secondary pitch, with sharp break and late action to miss barrels. Earlier in his career he experimented with a sinker and a changeup, but the fastball–slider combination has been the most effective and consistent for him, especially in high-leverage relief work. Post-Tommy John, his velocity has remained a hallmark of his profile, though his focus has also included refining pitch sequencing and improving command to maximize the impact of his elite stuff. is a reliever’s arsenal.

The bottom line

The Phillies are thought to be interested in picking up another starter. After all, they will be without Zack Wheeler to start the season and Suarez’ exit to Boston leaves them with an open spot. With a pitching poor farm system, the Phillies have Andrew Painter and Taijuan Walker as available starters. Painter has struggled since returning from his TJS, but figures to be far enough away from the surgery that he has the potential to return to his old form. Walker is a crap-shoot; who you get on which day is always a big question mark.

Bello would have a strong impact on the rotation, but is going to cost more than just Sosa. He’s young, good, and signed long-term. Sandoval and Sosa match up in that they are both free agents at the end of the season. If you have seen Painter’s struggles since returning from TJS, you have an indication of what 2026 potentially looks like for Sandoval, although not all post-surgery pitchers come back in exact ways. Acquiring Hicks would allow the Phillies to use him in the rotation and then jettison him into an already deep bullpen if all is going well with Painter when Wheeler returns.

Do they have to trade Sosa now that they have signed Moore? Absolutely not. Moore could sit at Lehigh Valley for a while or they could both be on the 26-man roster to give Rob Thomson a lot of flexibility in how he maneuvers during a game.

The true bottom line has two truths: First, Moore is a solid addition. Second, if the Phillies want to add a starter and the Red Sox need an infielder, they should have mutual interest in seeing what could be done.