The Phillies have made many deadline deals over the last decade that have reshaped the foundation of the organization.
Phillies fans have ridden a rollercoaster of emotions with the Phillies over the last decade. From a second-consecutive World Series appearance to some of the worst teams in franchise history, fans have seen it all.
Part of both the rise to world championship contention and a lengthy rebuild has been making franchise-altering deals in July. Ruben Amaro Jr. and Matt Klentak have overseen a multitude of deadline deals, but 10 stand out for being especially impactful.
George Stockburger and John Town break down 10 July trades made in the last decade that have made a tremendous impact on the Phillies franchise.
The Phillies were desperate for any offensive help whatsoever in 2018, team chemistry be damned. While Jorge Alfaro showed some good things during his first full major-league season, he wasn’t up to par offensively for a team with postseason aspirations.
Ramos was an All-Star in 2018 for the Rays but missed the actual game due to a hamstring injury. He was injured when acquired by the Phillies, which allowed them to pick him up for only cash. It was a rather savvy move by general manager Matt Klentak as it gave the team a quick fix without giving up anything of value.
Upon returning in mid-August, Ramos made a significant offensive impact from the get-go. In 33 games as a Phillie, he had a .337/.396/.483 line with 17 runs batted in. Some aspects of his game were limited due to the hamstring injury, but he still provided as much as he could.
Unfortunately, Ramos’s time as a Phillie coincided with one of the worst two-month stretches the team could have imagined. They fell from first to third in the division, turning what was an exciting season into an ultimately disappointing one. Ramos and other plug-and-play acquisitions like Justin Bour, Asdrubal Cabrera, and Jose Bautista were symbols of a team desperate for something to turn their season around.
Ramos ultimately signed with the Mets during the offseason, which allowed Philadelphia to trade for J.T. Realmuto in February. If anything, the trade for Ramos and the others mentioned showed the Phillies they would have to go big or go home to make a real impact on the roster.