By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor 
The Philadelphia Phillies offseason hotstove is burning, and likely has been well even before the conclusion of the 2018 regular season. While the club looks to add to its roster, subtractions are also necessary to propel the club forward to the postseason and beyond for the first time since 2011.
According to NBC Sports Philadelphia's Jim Salisbury Thursday at the GM meetings in Carlsbad, California, three Phillies veterans could be dealt this offseason: third baseman Maikel Franco, second baseman Cesar Hernandez and first baseman Carlos Santana.
Of the three, Franco, 26, is the most likely to be traded, per Salisbury, who notes the San Diego Padres as a possible destination:
Meanwhile, third baseman Maikel Franco is pretty much a sure bet to be traded, and he knows that. According to sources, there is a deal to be made with San Diego. The Padres have long liked Franco, who finished first in batting average (.270), second in OPS (.780) and third in homers (22) for the Phillies in 2018.
Hernandez, 28, was once thought to be inevitably dealt, especially with Scott Kingery and J.P. Crawford rising in the system. The six-year veteran is reportably available, however Salisbury said the Phillies will not "give him away," and will rather "hang onto him if they don't receive value."
For Santana, whether he stays or goes partially relies on where the team wants Rhys Hoskins to play in 2019 and beyond. While owed more than $40 million over 2019 and 2020, Santana is said to also be available for a trade, per Salisbury:
An industry source familiar with the Phillies’ thinking said the team was not in a hurry to eat salary because it would be akin to admitting that signing Santana was a mistake, but it would do so to facilitate moving Rhys Hoskins back to first base full time.
If Santana stays, the Phillies would be back in a situation where Hoskins would play left field and first base and Santana first base and third base. That is not ideal.
Santana's future with the Phillies is not 100 percent reliant on Hoskins, however. Franco could be dealt, for example, which would allow Santana to move over to the hot corner — a position he started 16 times in 2018 and committed only one error in 39 chances. Of course, signing Manny Machado would throw another variable into the equation.
It is almost impossible to predict, at this point in the offseason, who will be on the team in 2019 and who will not.
