Phillies battle the Braves in Free Game of the Day

Vince Velasquez is putting together a constructive sophomore season for the Philadelphia Phillies and could be a target for other teams in trade talks as the trade deadline approaches.

Velasquez is 8-2 with a 3.34 ERA heading into Friday night’s start in Atlanta against the Braves. After a bit of a rough stretch in June, he has been solid in July and hasn’t taken a loss since late May.

He’ll be looking for a fourth consecutive outing of at least six innings in what is Yahoo Sports’ MLB Free Game of the Day. The contest, which starts at 7:35 p.m. ET, can be streamed at Yahoo’s Sports Home, MLB index, video home, the Yahoo Sports app and this very post. Local blackouts apply per MLB rules.

The Texas Rangers are rumored to be interested in acquiring the Phillies’ 24-year-old right-hander, but it’s unclear if the Phillies would even entertain a trade proposal involving Velasquez.

Velasquez still claims one of the best outings by a pitcher so far this season in the major leagues. He shutout out the Padres back in April, allowing three hits with no walks and 16 strikeouts. That’s the potential a team like the Rangers sees in him, but it’s also a big reason why Philadelphia would be reluctant to let him go without getting a big return.

Another quality start from Velasquez tonight could increase the interest in him in the final hours before the trade deadline, but it’s difficult to see the Phillies letting him go when he has looked like a solid piece to build around in the coming years.

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Kyle Ringo is a contributing writer to Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo