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Ranking the Phillies’ biggest trade needs this season

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BOSTON, MA - JUNE 10: Mike Minor #23 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the third inning of a Major League Baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts on June 10, 2019. (Staff Photo By Christopher Evans/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - JUNE 10: Mike Minor #23 of the Texas Rangers pitches against the Boston Red Sox during the third inning of a Major League Baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts on June 10, 2019. (Staff Photo By Christopher Evans/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – June 04: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Madison Bumgarner #40 of the San Francisco Giants in action against the New York Mets at Citi Field on June 04, 2019 in New York City. The Giants defeated the Mets 9-3 in ten innings. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images) /

Left-Handed Starter

If I had a dollar for every time I said the Phillies need a lefty starter, I would have been able to sign Dallas Keuchel. All five of the current Phillies starters are right-handed, and they’ve had some very mixed results on the season.

Nick Pivetta was terrible early on, but might be having a breakout season after all? Jake Arrieta has been effective at times but appears to be on the decline. Aaron Nola has been better than his numbers suggest but consistently wears down by the sixth inning.

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As for Jerad Eickhoff, he currently leads the league with 16 long balls allowed and was recently reassigned to the bullpen. Zach Eflin has been the Phillies most consistent starter, posting a 2.88 ERA with 57 punch outs and two complete games. If Pivetta continues pitching like he has the past two starts, the Phillies staff should be good enough to get by.

The fact that these guys are all right-handed could come back to bite them though. The Dodgers have a plethora of left-handed stars, the Cubs have two left-handed mashers in Anthony Rizzo and Kyle Schwarber and the Brewers have that Christian Yelich guy.

Oh yeah, and don’t forget about Phillies nemesis No. 1 Freddie Freeman. The Phillies are going to have to get these guys out if they want to do anything in October, and their current numbers against lefties (.282/.361/.521 slash line with 57 homers) don’t exactly inspire confidence.

Next. Phillies starting rotation still not settled. dark

Madison Bumgarner would be a great addition to this Phillies staff, and very well could be the difference between a trip to the NLCS, and losing the wildcard game. Mike Minor of the Rangers is another name that has popped up in Phillies trade talks. Keuchel would have been a great addition too, but Atlanta already snatched him up. At least with the starting pitching, the Phillies have internal options to turn to, even if they’re not great ones.

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