LAKEWOOD, N.J. — Before Ramon Marquez ever pitched an inning in the minor leagues, Phillies officials watched him throw a bullpen at the club’s facility in the Dominican Republic last spring. Marquez, freshly signed for $10,000 out of Mexico, was relatively unknown — even among team officials. After watching the right-handed pitcher, those in attendance agreed: Marquez would not begin his career in the Dominican Summer League, as many young international signees do, but would head straight to the United States.“The delivery in general was just very controlled and yet powerful,” Phillies director of pitching development Travis Hergert said. “It wasn’t like he was max effort. I mean, from a pitching standpoint, just very aesthetically pleasing. Then we all were like, ‘Who is this guy?’”That has been the question for much of Marquez’s career — from when Phillies scouts discovered him at a tryout for another player to his breakout 2026 that has made him more of a known quantity. The 20-year-old has emerged as one of Philadelphia’s best pitching prospects, boasting an excellent changeup while producing a 1.83 ERA with 86 strikeouts in 54 innings (29 at Low-A Clearwater, 25 at High-A Jersey Shore) this season.The next question surrounding Marquez’s career will be answered before Monday’s trade deadline: Will the Phillies, who have major holes to fill and few top prospects to deal, keep him?President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has not hesitated to deal young pitchers in pursuit of major-league talent at the trade deadline, so it would be unsurprising if Marquez joined the ranks of players such as George Klassen and Ben Brown come Monday. Marquez has been a bright spot in a farm system ranked by several outlets as one of the worst in the sport, which could make him a popular ask in trade conversations. Scouts from the Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and St. Louis Cardinals were present at Marquez’s July 24 start in Lakewood that featured 10 strikeouts over five scoreless innings.