The trade deadline has come and gone and the Philadelphia Phillies are better, but still not good enough. Luis Arraez should help lengthen a threadbare lineup, and Brooks Raley and Caleb Kilian add new looks to a worn out bullpen. However, there are still plenty of holes on this team, and in light of the steals other clubs got, let’s take a look at some trades the Phillies should've been all over.
7 - yes, 7 - trade deadline deals Phillies probably should've made
Baltimore Orioles trade Taylor Ward to the Seattle Mariners for Brock Moore, Alex Hoppe and Harrison Kreiling
The Phillies’ lineup skews heavily left-handed, and the addition of Arraez only fueled that flame. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski should have made a right-handed hitting outfielder a top priority, considering the hodge podge of Justin Crawford, Derek Hill, and Gabriel Rincones Jr. that have received semi-regular playing time.
Conveniently, the Baltimore Orioles had just such a player on the block in Taylor Ward, an on-base machine who hits from the right side. The O’s ended up sending Ward to the Seattle Mariners for a trio of low-upside minor league arms, a price the Phillies certainly could have afforded. Just imagine how much better this lineup would look if Bryce Harper stayed at first base and Alec Bohm was swapped out for Ward.
New York Mets trade Luke Weaver and cash to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Sammy Stafura
Dombrowski did add two decent arms to the pen, but the Phils could use one more high-leverage option. José Alvarado is the furthest thing from trustworthy, while Orion Kerkering’s killer instinct remains in question.
The New York Mets held a total fire sale in what’s been a lost season, and right-hander Luke Weaver was arguably the best relief arm on the market. He ended up going to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for power-hitting low minors shortstop Sammy Stafura, and is controllable through next year. Boy, would it be nice to slot Weaver and his 1.84 ERA into the eighth inning ahead of the unparalleled Jhoan Duran.
Washington Nationals trade Foster Griffin to the Cleveland Guardians for Josh Hartle, Will Dion, Nick Mitchell and Kendeglys Virguez
Perhaps the Phillies’ most glaring need coming into the trade deadline was the starting rotation, and Dombrowski inexplicably decided to stand pat with his current group. Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter have been routinely setting games on fire two out of every five days, and a quality innings-eater could have fixed that problem.
The Washington Nationals traded everything that wasn’t nailed down, including breakout lefty Foster Griffin, who went to the Cleveland Guardians for a quartet of unimpressive prospects. It would have taken a chunk out of the lower levels of the farm system to trade for him, but that’s a price Dombrowski should have paid in order to shore up a massive weak spot.
Atlanta Braves trade Joey Bart to the Chicago White Sox for Duncan Davitt
Backup catcher is perhaps the least sexy roster spot a player can occupy, but it’s important nonetheless. To wit, the Phillies have employed Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs behind stalwart J.T. Realmuto, neither of whom provide any real value and have both been free outs at the plate.
Former second overall draft pick Joey Bart has failed to materialize as an impact big leaguer, but he’s been a perfectly cromulent part-time backstop for seven seasons now. The Atlanta Braves flipped him to the Chicago White Sox for lottery ticket Duncan Davitt, but he would’ve been a nice upgrade over the current dreck the Phils have behind Realmuto.
Kansas City Royals trade Kris Bubic to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Carlos Duran
Former All-Star Kris Bubic has been on the Injured List since mid-May with a shoulder strain, and there’s no telling what he’ll look like when and if he returns this season. The rudderless Kansas City Royals dealt him to the evil empire Los Angeles Dodgers for right-hander Carlos Duran, little more than a depth arm. Considering the Phillies’ acute need for rotation help, as well as Bubic’s All-Star ceiling, he certainly would’ve been a flier worth taking considering he fetched such an underwhelming return.
Los Angeles Angels trade Jo Adell to the Cleveland Guardians for Jacob Cozart
If Taylor Ward is the on-base specialist the Phillies missed out on, Jo Adell is the exact opposite as a free-swinger who pops plenty of homers. The 27-year-old crushed 37 dingers last year for a miserable Los Angeles Angels squad, and has 16 more this season.
Adell isn’t a perfect fit for the Phillies’ lineup, considering the amount of swing-and-miss they already have, but he would provide the right-handed power presence Nick Castellanos was supposed to be. The Cleveland Guardians were able to add Adell and his year-and-a-half of remaining team control for the low price of glove-first minor league catcher Jacob Cozart, a price the Phillies certainly could have matched.
San Francisco Giants trade Tyler Mahle to the Atlanta Braves for Anthony Molina
While Foster Griffin and Kris Bubic went for light returns, the San Francisco Giants’ Tyler Mahle was traded for practically nothing. The veteran righty was shipped to the division-rival Atlanta Braves for reliever Anthony Molina, who has a career 6.89 ERA.
Mahle hasn’t been particularly effective this season with a 5.13 ERA, but he’s come on strong since returning from the Injured List in late June, posting a 3.79 mark across 38 innings. He’s not the kind of guy the Phils would want to hand the ball to in a playoff game, but he could’ve helped get them to October and it wouldn’t have cost more than a fringey reliever.
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