3 trade deadline day targets for Phillies after upgrading bullpen with Jhoan Duran

The Philadelphia Phillies made their big trade deadline splash on Wednesday evening, acquiring elite closer Jhoan Duran from the Minnesota Twins. With the bullpen a known area of weakness, the move gives Phillies manager Rob Thomson a no-doubt ninth-inning closer for the rest of this season, plus the next two seasons.

But, with Thursday's 6 p.m. ET trade deadline still hours away, Phillies fans are hoping that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has more up his sleeve. So, what's next for the Phillies after securing the best relief arm on the market?

Dombrowski and the Phillies aren't done. At least that's what he told the media on Wednesday following a lifeless 9-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox.

“We’re not done,” Dombrowski said, per MLB.com's Todd Zolecki. “We’re not done talking. The Deadline isn’t over. We’ll just see what ends up happening. I really don’t know. They’re tough to acquire, too, right now.”

3 targets for Phillies on trade deadline day after upgrading bullpen

Before we get too excited dreaming about another bullpen addition, Dombrowski also said that they're done adding to the bullpen, per Zolecki. They're still looking for a bat.

With Eugenio Suarez going to Seattle, the top pending free agent bat is off the board. Who's left for the Phillies to target?

Luis Robert Jr., CHI, OF

This one's a no-brainer. According to reports on Wednesday, the Phillies are one of the teams that are in on Luis Robert Jr. The right-handed outfield bat would bring a power/speed element to the lineup, with Gold Glove defense in center field. He also has two years of team options on his contract, but at $20 million per season.

The 27-year-old Robert has underachieved the last two seasons, but his All-Star 2023 campaign is the upside the Phillies would be buying. He's even turned this season around by slashing .353/.441/.549 with three home runs and five stolen bases in 15 games in July. The Phillies conveniently got a first-hand look at Robert this week in Chicago (he went 5-for-11 with a home run and a steal in the White Sox's series win.)

The problem is that those pesky New York Mets are one of, if not the frontrunner, to land Robert on deadline day. Although, as we saw from Wednesday's Duran deal, Dombrowski isn't messing around this year.

Steven Kwan, CLE, OF

Another no-brainer, even if he's a left-handed hitter without much pop. Steven Kwan became much more available after the Emmanuel Clase bombshell dropped. With the Cleveland Guardians now sellers (subscription required) per The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal, and trying to move the two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glover, the Phillies should continue their pursuit.

Kwan, 27, is slashing .286/.350/.408 in 102 games this season, with nine homers, 38 RBIs, 53 runs and 11 stolen bases. He has 115 hits (20 doubles), which is just 12 behind Trea Turner's 127 and would rank sixth in the National League. His elite contact skills mean he doesn't strike out much, with just 38 in 452 plate appearances.

He's also heating up at the plate on an eight-game hit streak right now, with three home runs over that stretch. Kwan would be an immediate sparkplug in the offense and would be a fantastic table-setter for the big boys.

Alec Burleson, STL, OF

Here's a new one. With USA Today's Bob Nightengale reporting that the St. Louis Cardinals are "wide open for business," the Phillies are mentioned as being interested in Alec Burleson, as well as Lars Nootbaar and Brandon Donovan. All three hit from the left side, but if they can hit that might be all Dombrowski is interested in after his offseason signing of Max Kepler has flamed out at the plate.

Burleson, 26, is slashing .287/.341/.469 in 98 games this year. He has 14 home runs and 48 RBIs and impacts the ball hard while not striking out, with just a 13 percent strikeout rate.

While Nootbaar is the best defensive outfielder of the trio, he hasn't been able to stay healthy (he's currently on the IL) and fulfill his full potential in five MLB seasons. Donovan plays all over the field and is hitting .285/.358/.416 this year. None of the three are particularly good against left-handed pitching, but Burleson's .229 is still a step up from Kepler's .196 average versus lefties.

Burleson is is entering his first arbitration eligble season in 2026 and is under team control through 2028. This looks like a sneaky under-the-radar move that Dombrowski would like.

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