2 Phillies trade rumors we hope come true, 1 we hope doesn't happen

With the MLB trade deadline mere days away, the Philadelphia Phillies are looking to finalize a contending roster with some notable holes. Fortunately, there are a few candidates who would be prime targets for some of the problem areas that have plagued this year's roster. The Phillies have, however, also been linked to discussions around some unfavorable targets.

Here are two trades that the Phillies should push aggressively before the deadline, and one that they should stay far, far away from.

Phillies should pursue Rangers outfielder Adolis García

Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh, Nick Castellanos and Johan Rojas, the four primary outfielders on the Phillies' roster, have combined for a total of -0.6 bWAR. Only Rojas has managed to accumulate a positive total this season, but his paltry hitting numbers — including a .578 OPS over 69 games — make his value purely one-dimensional.

There have been rumors and complaints swirling around some of these players, namely Castellanos and Marsh, but at the bare minimum, some form of change needs to happen before Thursday's deadline.

A two-way contributor, while hard to find, would be the ideal fit to slot into this outfield. Per Jeff Passan of ESPN, Adolis García, part of the Texas Rangers' 2023 World Series team, has been a player the Phillies have shown interest in, and is a prime candidate to slot into the outfield as a right-handed power bat.

García has had his offensive struggles this season, posting a below-average 92 OPS+ through 100 games with the Rangers. His 14 homers thus far put him on pace to hit 23 this season, a career low. Still, the upside is evident, with his 82nd percentile barrel rate and his 91st percentile exit velocity, and that's not even the best facet of his game.

Defensively, García would provide the Phillies with one of the best gloves in the game. His 14 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) are seventh overall in the majors and tied for third among all outfielders. This is the most integral part of García's game for this deal, as those four Phillies outfielders have combined for -20 DRS this season.

Between his down offensive campaign and having only one additional year of control left on his contract, García should be an accessible piece for the Phillies to acquire and should be near the top of their list.

Acquiring A's fireballer Mason Miller would be a huge trade deadline get for Phillies

The bullpen, meanwhile, presents an entirely different issue. Inconsistency has been the defining factor for late-game arms this season. Early-season struggles for Matt Strahm have turned into another solid campaign, but for others, namely Jordan Romano, this has been nothing short of a nightmare season.

Fortunately, the struggling Athletics, sitting nearly 20 games below .500 in late July, have the perfect arm for the Phillies to snag. Mason Miller, a hard-throwing right-hander, has been nothing short of spectacular for the A's in his first two full seasons. And, according to Ken Rosenthal via The Athletic, should the A's make Miller available, Philadelphia would be the top team to pursue Miller (subscription required).

Miller, like García, has seen his numbers take a hit this season. After his All-Star campaign, in which he finished fourth in Rookie of the Year voting, Miller has put up a 3.76 ERA in 38 1/3 innings pitched. That doesn't tell the whole story; his velocity, whiff rate, strikeout rate, and expected batting average are all 99th percentile or better. And it can't get much better than that.

This is the kind of player whose fastball averages over 101 mph. Arm talent like that doesn't come around too often. When it does, it needs to be brought in, fast.

Truth be told, playing in a minor league stadium this season probably hasn't helped Miller's ERA, either. The major concern would be his increased walk rate — up nearly four percentage points from last year — and his youth. The A's would have control over Miller until 2030 at the earliest; be that as it may, for the right price, they might ship him off to avoid having to pay him. Should they do so, the Phillies need to swoop in and secure integral help for their struggling bullpen.

Phillies need to avoid All-Star third baseman Eugenio Suárez

From a cold start to a mid-season resurgence to now landing on the injured list with a rib injury, Alec Bohm has put Phillies fans through the ringer this season. Be that as it may, it's not time for the team to move on from their home-grown third baseman for greener pastures, especially not when the replacement seems to be Eugenio Suárez.

Per Jon Heyman of the New York Post, Suárez is a prime target for the Phillies to acquire at the deadline, with Bohm's injury and their apparent need for a right-handed bat.

Undeniably, the Arizona Diamondbacks' third baseman is having an incredible season, amassing a .904 OPS, 36 homers, and a majors-leading 87 RBIs and earning his second career All-Star nod. The Diamondbacks appear to be in sell mode, as they recently traded away Josh Naylor to the Seattle Mariners for two pitching prospects. Both would make Suárez a prime target for the Phillies to acquire.

They don't need to. The upgrade isn't worth the cost.

Yes, Suárez is a much better bat than Bohm is right now. But the power is the only major difference: They're both getting on base around a .320 clip. With how many other contributors there are at the top of the lineup, acquiring the extra homers in exchange for a player who's creating the same amount of opportunities and striking out half as often doesn't make much sense.

Besides, Suárez is a clear defensive liability at third. Amonst qualified third baseman, Suárez has the third lowest DRS, at -4; Bohm, meanwhile, is hovering right around league average. It's not a glaring difference, but it could mean a crucial grounder gets stopped by Bohm, while it would roll by
Suárez.

That poor defense, combined with the high-strikeout, high-slugging approach of Suárez, puts him directly in line with the play style of Kyle Schwarber. The DH spot is securely Schwarber's; putting him in the outfield is more of a risk than the players they're already sending out. There's a distinct lack of lineup flexibility there, should Philadelphia pursue Suárez. They can't DH him outright, but playing him at third, especially with Bohm and Edmundo Sosa being better defenders, isn't the smart decision, either.

Suárez is undeniably one of the hottest players on the market this trade deadline. The Diamondbacks know this. The whole league does. That'll drive up his value immensely. For a minor upgrade offensively, that type of trade doesn't feel worth it.

Because of those limitations, both to Suárez's game and the resulting lineup, the Phillies should focus elsewhere for the time being and simply wait it out for Bohm's return from his injury. Focusing on Mason Miller and Adolis García should become their priority. They're two players who immediately fill a glaring hole. Suárez, despite his numbers, simply wouldn't help Philadelphia nearly as much as the others.

More Phillies news from That Ball's Outta Here