The Ryan Degges Phillies trade turned a minor league arm into $250K of international bonus pool space on July 4, 2026. Philadelphia then used that money to help complete the signing of 17-year-old right-hander Ho Hua.
Degges Moves To Cleveland
Ryan Degges, 23, went to the Guardians in the deal. Philadelphia had selected him in the 17th round of the 2024 draft, and he reached the trade market after posting a 5.47 ERA over 24 2/3 combined innings with Clearwater and Jersey Shore this season.
He also struck out 25% of the hitters he faced while walking 12.9%, a mixed line that shows why the return came in pool space rather than another player. Most of his work came in high-A ball before an injury sent him to the IL in mid-May, and he later made two outings in Clearwater during a rehab assignment.
Phillies Add Pool Space
The deal mattered because international bonus pool money is moved in $250K increments once the 2026 international signing window has opened and most of the pool has already been spent. Philadelphia had already used most of its space, so the extra block gave the club the flexibility to finish a signing that was already in motion.
That flexibility quickly found a use. The Phillies signed Ho Hua out of Taiwan for a bonus in the neighborhood of $500K, and the pool money from the Degges trade helped bridge the gap. For a club working around the limits of its remaining space, the transaction was less about the pitcher leaving than the money arriving.
Ho Hua Signing
The sequence on July 4 was simple: Degges went to Cleveland, Philadelphia got $250K more room, and Ho Hua became the beneficiary. The move left the Phillies with one less depth arm in the system and a little more room to work in international market math, while Cleveland added a 23-year-old right-hander who had already logged innings in both Clearwater and Jersey Shore.
