3 players dealt at the MLB trade deadline we're glad the Phillies avoided

While some could argue that they'd hoped the Philadelphia Phillies would've done more at the Aug. 3rd trade deadline, their biggest grab in Luis Arraez has already proven to be a wise investment for the once frozen offense, and the bullpen pieces, though not off to the best start, were acquired to hopefully bridge the gap between their starters and All-Star closer Jhoan Duran, nothing more.

With all the talent moved this past trade deadline, Phillies fans were left wanting just a bit more, such as an outfielder who wasn't already on the team's 26-man roster, but it seems as though the few acquisitions made at the MLB level have been more than enough ... for now.

Yes, the thought of "what if" will still linger with some of the bigger names, like the newly acquired Dodger Tarik Skubal, but there have certainly been a few trade deadline busts both offensively and defensively who, at one point, Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski would've tried renting in hopes of getting them to the World Series.

You know the deadline's biggest steals. Let's look at some of the biggest busts the Phillies avoided.

Curtis Mead, INF (Boston Red Sox)

Despite the Red Sox being one of the biggest winners at the trade deadline, one of their Chief Baseball Officer's first moves was to acquire a controllable righty bat who can make some impact, with a bigger defensive repertoire than some of their rotational bench infielders.

However, in his first game after being acquired by the Washington Nationals, Mead suffered a fractured left wrist during his second at-bat in a Red Sox uniform.

Before his injury, Mead was having a breakout season with the Nationals, slashing .254/.352/.500 with 17 home runs and 48 RBI across just 87 games, but Boston will have to be without the versatile infielder until at least the second week of September. It probably would've cost the Phillies a little more to get him than the Red Sox, who shipped out one of their two rookie left-handers (a loss they could stomach with their excellent rotation, including Ranger Suarez).

Casey Mize, RHP (San Diego Padres)

After a decent start to the season, despite a stint on the IL, professionals throughout MLB were trying to pump the narrative that Mize would be a highly sought-after, playoff-caliber starter, something the Phillies were looking for at the deadline.

Mize does not look like the arm they would've wanted to take a chance on, however, after making his Padres debut two days after his move from Detroit to the sunny West Coast. Mize was smacked around and left for dead, giving up eight earned runs on nine hits and three walks in just three and one-third innings. It marked the worst start of his career, boosting his ERA from 2.90 to 3.40, and would have been an utter setback for the Phillies' rotation, a unit where the bottom two starters have been questionable to begin with.

Kevin Gausman, RHP (Chicago Cubs)

Perhaps it's just the loyalist in both him and me that makes him the third member of this list, with Gausman being a long-time Toronto Blue Jay, thus an enemy to the fans who still hold 1993 close to their hearts. Gausman has openly talked about how he's mourning the home he made in Toronto, and he could've been another starter the Phillies could've easily acquired at the deadline to ease some of the work off the struggling Aaron Nola.

Gausman hasn't made a start with the Chicago Cubs just yet, avoiding a start against his former team, and might not pitch as well in a new location, after spending the last five seasons with the Jays. When looking at the numbers he gave in Toronto this year, he's just slightly better than Nola, who has been a thorn in the rotation's side the entire 2026 season.

Their records are comparable, with Nola sitting at a 3-9 record on the season and Gausman at 5-10, with Gausman having struck out just six more batters (his percentage just two-tenths greater than Nola's). He's walked just five fewer batters than the former Phillies golden boy, proving that one aging righty is plenty for this rotation.

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