The Philadelphia Phillies kept themselves busy at the MLB trade deadline this year.
The organization made a handful of moves, but its deals with the San Francisco Giants stood out the most.
Phillies’ New Reliever Is Considered Underrated
GettyCaleb Kilian was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies by the San Francisco Giants
Philadelphia engaged in talks with the Giants regarding a few of their players, ultimately landing Luis Arraez and Caleb Kilian. Arraez was the key headliner here, but according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, 29-year-old Kilian should be garnering more attention than he is.
In fact, he tabbed him as one of three “most underrated relievers traded.”
Alongside Kilian in this selection were Ryan Zeferjahn, now with the Chicago Cubs, and Erik Miller, now with the Boston Red Sox. Miller was also shipped out from San Francisco.
As for Kilian, he is now in his fourth year playing Major League Baseball.
He was selected by the Giants 236th overall in the eighth round of the 2019 MLB draft. He went on to make his debut in June 2022 with the Cubs.
However, in December 2025, he signed with San Francisco. On Monday, Aug. 3, he was traded to the Phillies.
At the time of this writing, he owns a 4.17 ERA and 55 strikeouts across 45.1 innings pitched through 46 games. He’s walked 20 batters.
So far, this has been his most productive year yet.
Kilian has been rather inconsistent on the mound, but Philadelphia was in dire need of bullpen depth this summer.
Their new right-hander is unlikely to solve their issues on his own, but he has shown flashes of promise throughout his career. Perhaps a change in scenery will be his answer.
Where the Phillies Stand Right Now
GettyDon Mattingly and the Philadelphia Phillies have now passed the MLB trade deadline
Now on a four-game winning streak, Philadelphia is feeling quite confident. Not only did they secure their fourth consecutive win on Tuesday, but it was their third shutout victory since Aug. 1.
They defeated the Washington Nationals 5-0 at Citizens Bank Park.
With two more games remaining, the Phillies have a glaring opportunity to make a clean sweep of the four-game series.
Once this set wraps up, Philadelphia will host the Toronto Blue Jays for a three-game stretch.
Looking at the MLB standings, the Phillies are ranked toward the top, landing in eighth place at 61-53 overall.
In the National League East, they come in second. The Atlanta Braves (68-45) continue to lead the division by a large margin.
Following Philadelphia in the NL East are the Miami Marlins (58-56), the Nationals (55-60) and the New York Mets (48-66).
Now that the MLB trade deadline has passed, it’s time to regain focus and play out a strong August. The Phillies have clearly started the month on the right foot, but that momentum could go away quickly.
Per FanGraphs, Philadelphia is looking at a 73.4% chance of clinching the wild card. They have an 11.6% chance of winning their division and a 6.6% chance of winning the World Series.
Having said that, the latter seems extremely unlikely this year, but ruling anything out would be ill-advised.
Philadelphia Phillies’ Acquisition Labeled Most Underrated Reliever at Trade Deadline