Phillies trade Adam Haseley to White Sox for minor-league pitcher; Mickey Moniak likely on opening-day roster
The Phillies drafted Haseley in the first round in 2017, and he was competing for a platoon role in center field this year. They acquired minor-league right-hander McKinley Moore in the trade.
TAMPA, Fla. — It wasn’t going to happen for Adam Haseley with the Phillies, so the former first-round pick will get an opportunity to start fresh elsewhere.
In a classic change-of-scenery move that also essentially puts Mickey Moniak on the opening-day roster and frees up a 40-man roster spot perhaps for top prospect Bryson Stott, the Phillies traded Haseley on Tuesday to the Chicago White Sox for minor-league right-hander McKinley Moore.
“Sometimes a change of scenery is good for players,” manager Joe Girardi said. “Great kid. Works really hard. He was doing everything we asked him.’
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But Haseley was unable to cement himself as the Phillies’ future center fielder over the last three seasons after being drafted eighth overall in 2017. Given yet another chance this spring after Odúbel Herrera went down with a muscle strain in his side, Haseley was outplayed by Moniak.
When spring training opened, the former No. 1 overall pick began working with new hitting coach Kevin Long, who moved him closer to the plate and changed his stride to get more rotation in his swing. Moniak homered in three games in a row last week.
After that, it was a matter of only if the Phillies believe Moniak can handle center field. Girardi has talked about using him as the left-handed half of a center-field timeshare with Matt Vierling.
“Those two guys have played really well,” Girardi said. “It gives us left-handed options and right-handed options. I’m not sure exactly what we’re going to do. We could [platoon them]. One could take it and run with it.”
But shipping off Haseley in a deal that came together quickly Tuesday morning (Haseley was in the initial lineup here against the Yankees but had to be replaced in right field by utilityman Ronald Torreyes) has other potential implications.
The Phillies likely will need to open a few spots on the 40-man roster next week, whether Stott beats out Alec Bohm in a third-base competition or a few nonroster relievers make the team with Sam Coonrod (shoulder) and possibly lefty José Alvarado (neck) sidelined.
» READ MORE: Mickey Moniak, Bryson Stott could start on opening day
Haseley batted .264 with five homers and a .695 on-base plus slugging percentage in 116 games over three seasons with the Phillies, who once touted him as a refined hitter who could reach the big leagues quickly. He played well after getting called up for the first time in 2019 and was the opening-day center fielder last year.
But Girardi gave Haseley less playing time than speedy Roman Quinn in the shortened 2020 season. Last year, Haseley took a monthlong leave of absence for personal reasons in mid-April and spent the rest of the season in the minors.
In November, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said neither Haseley nor Moniak was a candidate to fill center field this season, an indictment of the Phillies’ drafting, development, or both. Vierling had passed them on the depth chart, and when the Phillies were unable to acquire another center fielder in the offseason, they brought back Herrera on a one-year, $1.75 million contract.
Moore, 23, has a 4.43 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 63 innings over two minor-league seasons with the White Sox.