Phillies Must Avoid Major Brandon Marsh Trade Mistake

Through the first half of the 2026 MLB campaign, Philadelphia Phillies outfielder Brandon Marsh was sensational and even earned his first All-Star appearance.

The second half, however, was a complete nightmare.

Marsh slashed just .184/.243/.259 after the All-Star break, making him one of the worst players in baseball throughout that span.

His defense also fell off a cliff, and he became virtually unplayable.

So, is Marsh's time in Philadelphia coming to an end?

Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that Marsh is indeed available via trade this offseason, which isn't a huge surprise given how atrocious he was down the stretch.

But that's also why the Phillies shouldn't move him.

Chances are, Marsh will rebound from his horrific last few months of 2026. He owns a .267/.334/.432 slash line since arriving in Philadelphia in 2022, and he has typically always been a solid defender.

If the Phillies do trade Marsh now, there is no way they are going to recoup appropriate value for him. Not after what we just saw.

Philadelphia is better off holding on to Marsh and going out and landing a big bat or two in the outfield to provide him with some support. The Phils could also platoon him considering he boasts a lifetime .786 OPS against right-handed pitching.

Trading him now, however, is not the answer.

Yes, I understand that Marsh is a year away from free agency, so the Phillies are risking losing him for nothing if they don't move him. But I think Marsh would be more of an asset to Philadelphia in 2027 than anything the team could receive for him in a trade package at any point down the line.

Marsh has a track record of being decent, and while his second-half slump was too large of a sample size to completely ignore, you have to look at the whole picture.

The Phillies are in win-now mode, so any move they make should be one to help them immediately. Trading Marsh wouldn't do that.

Keeping him and hoping he bouncing back while also adding some other pieces, however, would certainly achieve that goal. Or it would at least be the best path to doing so.

Marsh certainly lost a significant chunk of his fan club in Philadelphia this past season, and that's understandable. But I believe giving up on him now would be too soon.

Unless another club comes along and offers a substantial package for Marsh, the Phillies' best bet is to retain him for at least one more year.