Phillies-Braves series will determine deadline aggressiveness

How the Phillies fare in this weekend’s series against the Braves will likely determine how aggressive they are at the trade deadline.

For the second time this month, the Phillies enter a series with the Braves 5.5 games behind them in the National League East. Between the two series, Philadelphia fell as far as 9.5 games back but returned to where they are now after rattling off five wins in their last six games.

The previous series was vital as it very well could have been the nail in the team’s hopes for the division. However, they managed a way to return to where they were at the onset of their previous series. Now, this series has its importance.

Philadelphia has just four games remaining before the trade deadline on Wednesday afternoon. Three of those games are against the Braves and could make a massive difference in the division standings. By the end of the weekend, they could be as close as 2.5 games or as far as 8.5 games.

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This high variance of outcomes of this series likely means it will play a significant role in determining just how aggressive Philadelphia is at next week’s trade deadline. If they inch closer to first place in the division, the front office should be more motivated to acquire pieces to chase down the Braves.

The front office has stated that they aren’t going to make high-profile moves, instead opting for smaller ones to round out the current roster. With that being said, if they say that the club is much closer to the division than they were at the beginning of the month, they may be more inclined to pursue more prominent names like Trevor Bauer and Matthew Boyd.

At the same time, a series loss, or even worse, a sweep at the hand of the Braves will assure the team makes minimal, if any acquisitions. It would confirm that this year’s squad doesn’t have what it takes and force the front office to take a long-term view.

While there are still two months remaining in the season, this weekend’s series with the Braves will determine how the rest of the year plays out.