Phillies Make a Splash, Acquire Luis Arraez, Caleb Kilian, and Brooks Raley

Early this morning the Philadelphia Phillies were busy, beginning their day with a trade for both Luis Arraez and Caleb Kilian from the San Francisco Giants, as well as making a deal for Brooks Raley from the New York Mets.

The Phillies have struggled to open the second half. They are 5-10 in their first 15 since the break, are now eight games back in the National League East and just one game ahead of the Padres for the final Wild Card spot. They have now addressed two major needs: adding stability to the lineup and strengthening the bullpen.

As for the Giants and Mets, they are sellers at the deadline. It has been a brutal season for both teams, as they each enter the deadline with just 47 wins. Well out of contention, they are looking to build for the future while offloading multiple major league pieces to contending clubs.

There are some intriguing pieces involved in these deals. Here is a full analysis.

Trade One

Phillies receive: 1B/2B Luis Arraez, RHP Caleb Kilian

Giants receive: RHP Ramon Marquez, RHP Marty Gair

Baseball’s Top Contact Hitter

The obvious headliner in this deal is none other than Luis Arraez — the top contact hitter in the game, who is having his most successful season since 2023. After a pair of lackluster seasons by his standards in 2024 and 2025, Arraez is putting on a show this year.

Through 105 games, he is slashing .324/.360/.440 with a 120 wRC+ and has been worth a career-high 3.7 fWAR. He leads MLB with a 4.5% strikeout rate, something he has built his entire game around.

The biggest factor in his offensive profile fueling his resurgent season is his power. So far this year, he has 34 extra-base hits. In the two seasons prior to this year, he averaged 40.5 extra-base hits while playing 150-plus games in each season. He posted a slugging percentage of just .392 in each of those seasons, while that mark is up to .440 this year.

That alone has been huge for his value, but it may not even be the largest improvement in his game. Defensively, nobody has improved more than Arraez this season. After posting a -5 Fielding Run Value in 2025, he is up to +9 so far in 2026. The Phillies plan on keeping him at second base, where he has played most of his innings this season.

Philadelphia is getting better on multiple fronts with Luis Arraez alone: a solid defender, elite contact skills, and a steady bat. He will be a huge help as they head down the stretch, no doubt.

Caleb Kilian, a Breakout Reliever

It took some time for Caleb Kilian to stick in MLB. He had limited chances with the Chicago Cubs over the span of three seasons before he inevitably landed back in the Giants’ organization, where he began his career.

He finally got a long runway in the big leagues this season and did not waste that opportunity. Through 44.1 innings, he has a 4.26 ERA, which may not seem great on the surface, but there are many indicators suggesting he has been better than the ERA shows.

There have always been plenty of strikeouts in his game thanks to impressive stuff. This season, he has a 32.0% chase rate and 28.8% whiff rate, which have fueled his 53 strikeouts on the year. He has also finally managed to suppress hard contact at an above-average clip, ranking in the 77th and 69th percentiles in average exit velocity and hard-hit rate, respectively.

The only real hole in his game is command. He is running a 10.4% walk rate that has placed him in some deep water at times. Aside from that, he has been susceptible to barrels, though that has not been a major issue.

All of this has led to him having a 3.33 xERA and 3.59 FIP, marks that are considerably better than his earned run average.

This is a solid pickup for a Phillies bullpen that ranks 24th in bullpen ERA this season, and he should play a major role in their run for the playoffs.

Giants Bring In an Exciting Pitching Prospect

At the top of the return for the Giants is Ramon Marquez, a 20-year-old right-handed pitching prospect. You don’t have to look far to see the appeal in Marquez, as he has absolutely dominated at multiple levels so far this season.

Across Single-A and High-A, he has a 1.68 ERA and a ridiculous 41.9% strikeout rate. He has been essentially untouchable, with opposing hitters batting just .145 against him.

He throws a mid-90s fastball that gets good arm-side action and a power changeup that hitters have had no answers for. There is also a slider in the mix, but it remains a work in progress as he continues to develop more feel for the pitch. There is some belief that he could still add some velocity in his 6-foot-2 frame, though that is no guarantee.

The likely spot for him in the Giants’ system is as the No. 2 pitching prospect, right behind Jackson Flora, who they selected fourth overall in this year’s draft.

Marquez is likely a few years away from the majors, but he is still a very intriguing prospect, one that San Francisco will be lucky to have.

High-Upside Power Arm

Rounding out the trade is Marty Gair, another right-handed pitcher. Gair has been used exclusively as a reliever this season and remains a fascinating prospect.

This season, he has reached as high as 102.2 mph on his fastball. This is a major factor in opponents struggling to make any sort of contact against him, as he has held them to a .161 batting average on the year.

Clearly, there is something to be excited about. What comes with it, however, are some major flaws.

Gair is running a 14.9% walk rate in the lower levels of the minor leagues this season. That alone is enough to create a considerable amount of concern regarding his future. Additionally, he is 23 years old and is just getting his first taste of High-A baseball.

He is a project for the Giants, no doubt, but one that comes with immense upside if they can develop any sort of command in his game.

Trade Two

Phillies receive: LHP Brooks Raley

Mets receive: OF John Spikerman, RHP Luke Gabrysh

Phillies Continue To Bolster the Bullpen

In addition to Caleb Killian, the Phillies also made a move for Brooks Raley, a left-handed reliever from the Mets. He’s in the middle of a terrific year, posting a 1.96 ERA over 41.1 innings.

The 38-year-old has been elite in the quality of contact department, ranking in the 86th percentile or higher in average exit velocity, hard-hit rate, and barrel rate. He has also been slightly above average at striking batters out.

Raley is not a power arm by any means; in fact, he averages just 90.1 mph on his sinker. Instead, he relies on finesse and a pair of breaking pitches that he has great feel for.

There isn’t much playoff experience for him (13.1 innings), though he has plenty of leverage innings in the majors, as well as in the KBO. Manager Don Mattingly should have no worries about him in the later innings of games down the stretch.

This is another solid pickup in what has been a busy morning for the Phillies, especially considering the relatively low price.

A Pair of Prospects Heading to Mets

There is no real headliner return for the Mets in this deal. When trading a 39-year-old rental reliever, that is usually the case. However, they definitely did get some value in return.

Beginning by looking at John Spikerman, an outfielder who was drafted in the third round of the 2024 draft. He is slashing .252/.423/.330 while spending most of his time in High-A this season. Clearly, there isn’t a lot of power in his game, but there is still some yearly draw to him.

He has a great feel for the zone, posting a 21.3% walk rate this season. Add his speed into that, and you have 18 stolen bases in 32 games. Guys who know their game like Spikerman seems to have room to grow within systems.

If he continues this performance and maybe adds a bit of power to his 6-foot, 190-pound frame, he could be a solid fourth outfielder a few years down the line.

The second prospect heading to the Mets’ system is Luke Gabrysh, a 6-foot-3 right-hander. He has some upside potential, which is enticing to the New York farm system.

The fastball will work in the mid-90s, and his mix goes deep, with a changeup and a pair of breaking balls that generate high whiff rates. He’s another guy who lacks polish, however, as he’s posted a 5.14 ERA at High-A this season, largely due to home runs and a high walk rate.

Still, there are bones to work with, whether they try to reel in the command and develop him as a starter or maximize his potential as a reliever.

Overall, one safe and one upside guy for the Mets in this deal, but also two guys who Philadelphia didn’t have to think twice about moving.

Closing Thoughts

The Phillies are gearing up for a deep playoff run. They are looking to gain some momentum after opening the second half cold. With these two trades they have addressed multiple needs, and done so with guys who truly move the needle.

They gave up some high upside guys, ones who the Giants and Mets are surely excited to work with. Each team in these deals made the right move — at least on paper. Selling teams building for the future, with the Phillies buying to compete in 2026.