The Philadelphia Phillies have their work cut out for them as the July 31 MLB trade deadline approaches. The bullpen is a major concern, but their outfield has had some serious complications playing above replacement level at times. Anything can happen at the deadline for the Phillies, and that includes from their current major league squad.
The Phillies have a lot of options in front of them in how they want to approach the second half after the All-Star break. There is some prospect depth to account for when putting future deals together, but their current roster is also something to consider to clear up space for money and pending debuts on the horizon.
Will outfielders Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler be with the Phillies past the trade deadline?
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the expected busy trade deadline for the Phillies could include outfielders Brandon Marsh and Max Kepler (subscription required). Justin Crawford, the 17th overall pick in the 2022 MLB Draft, is getting closer to making his debut at some point this season. The anticipated debut could also spell the end for at least one outfielder on the major league club.
"That would mean moving either Brandon Marsh or Kepler," Gelb says. "Both have underperformed in 2025. They might not have much value on the trade market. Teams have poked around, though, because the state of offense across the sport is dismal."
Crawford has been tearing up Triple-A in Lehigh Valley, hitting a cool .337 with an .853 OPS and game-changing speed. He has stolen 28 bases through 71 games. Crawford is deserving of a promotion, per Jim Callis of MLB.com, and unfortunately that means that someone has to be the odd man out.
Marsh had a terrible start to the season, going hitless in 13 games in April and ending with a .095 batting average. Whatever kind of funk he was in earlier in the season, he has thankfully worked his way out of it. Since the calendar flipped to May, among batters who've accumulated 150 or more plate appearances, he is surprisingly second on the club with a .306 batting average. According to FanGraphs, his average also ranks 19th in all of baseball during that span. He now sports a season slash line of .259/.335/.370, good for a .705 OPS.
Kepler is a different story when it comes to long-term value with the organization. Kepler was signed to a one-year contract with the plan of him being the everyday left fielder. He has been unable to offensively contribute with a .681 OPS and a team-worst .211 batting average through 84 games. His comments about the playing time have now also soured Phillies fans' belief in him, so it may be time to just cut ties.
Either way, there can be some kind of value in a trade if the Phillies can get some bullpen relief in return for either outfielder. Marsh would likely have the highest value with his plus defense and his recent run of success at the plate. Kepler, on the other hand, may get the Whit Merrifield treatment and find himself released before it reaches that point. The Phillies have decisions to make, and fans will wait to see if any of these rumors have any validity to them in the upcoming weeks.