The Phillies' need has never been clearer. With Adolís García lost for the season to a torn lat, the front office has made its priority explicit — and Jim Bowden, former MLB GM and The Athletic insider, put it in plain terms.
"Due to right fielder Adolís García's season-ending injury, the Phillies have made a corner outfielder or first baseman their top priority," Bowden wrote. "Right field is their preference, but they know Bryce Harper is willing to move to right field if they can land a first baseman."
Bowden laid out the full market — Mike Trout (highly unlikely), JJ Bleday, Spencer Steer, Jarren Duran, Bryan Reynolds, Kody Clemens, Spencer Torkelson, Willson Contreras and TJ Rumfield — before naming his best fit: Jo Adell of the Los Angeles Angels. He then went further, outlining the package he believes could get it done: Dante Nori, Gabe Craig and Ramon Marquez. Some outlets have called it a rich asking price, but here's why I'd push back on that.
What the Phillies Would Be Giving Up in Potential Jo Adell Trade
Start with Gabe Craig, because he's the piece that should genuinely excite Los Angeles. The right-hander carries a 70-grade slider per MLB Pipeline — one of the best in the entire Phillies system — a devastating pitch with the kind of lateral sweep and depth that can miss big-league bats. Reports also indicate he could reach the majors before the season ends so Craig fits the exact mold of arms the Angels push from college to the big leagues quickly — a reliever type with at least one plus-plus offering, plus control, and a path that's measured in months rather than years. While the Phils will be looking to add a reliever at the deadline, the risk of developing Craig while trying to win games is something the Angels can worry about.
Ramon Marquez is the younger, higher-upside arm that gives the package its depth. A 20-year-old signed late in the international prospect window, Marquez has moved quickly — DSL to affiliated US ball to Low-A and High-A within a short window — and his changeup has been the carrying tool, drawing a 60 grade from MLB and earning him the title of the Phillies system's breakout prospect of the season according to Phillies Minor Thoughts. His sinker sits low-to-mid 90s and will generate ground balls at the next level. No single pitch jumps off the page as a plus-plus offering the way Craig's slider does, but the overall profile projects as a mid-to-back-of-rotation starter with room to develop. At 20, the Angels would be getting a live arm with legitimate upside on a team-friendly timeline. Then there's Dante Nori — and this is where the trade logic gets most interesting.
Why Trading Nori Now Is Smart
Nori is a former 27th overall pick with genuine speed and a contact-first profile that scouts respect. But here's the honest conversation the Phillies need to have: Justin Crawford is already in the major leagues playing the same game — a contact-and-speed outfielder with no real power anchor — and he's ahead of Nori on the depth chart by roughly two years of development. If Crawford is the type the Phillies believe in, Nori becomes redundant.
Trade him now, at first-round pedigree value, before an MLB transition potentially exposes the ceiling debate. A high-speed, low-power corner outfielder without a dominant average is a profile that gets heavily discounted once the questions start.
Why Adell Is Worth It
Jo Adell was the 10th pick in the 2017 MLB Draft and one of baseball's most exciting prospects for a reason. After up and downs, last year he had a breakout year: 37 home runs, 98 RBI, Angels team MVP. In 2026, the story is a little different but he's still hitting .249 with 11 homers and 47 RBI, on a $5.2 million salary and under team control through 2027. Those numbers stem from a drop in home-runs per at-bat and OPS, plus the platoon split against right-handed pitching is real and worth acknowledging — but for a Phillies lineup that can protect him and let him play to his strengths, the potential of a second-half hot streak and an October run is the bet. If 2025 Adell shows up for a playoff push, he's the right-handed thump this team has been missing for two years. And if it goes well, you've got another year of team control to decide what comes next.
Also, something I cannot unsee — even though this piece isn't about him. Bowden included Mike Trout on the market list, flagging it as "highly unlikely." Trout grew up in Millville, South Jersey — a lifelong Philly sports fan. That's a Phillies fan's fantasy worth its own column, would need unlimited hypotheticals, and a separate conversation. This one starts with Adell, and the timing couldn't be better.
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