The Philadelphia Phillies' search for outfield help at the trade deadline figures to span far and wide, considering that ... their starting center fielder has a 77 wRC+, they're running out a platoon of Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Bryan De La Cruz in right, and the group as a whole can't hit lefties. But other than that, all good.
Don't be too surprised to hear a lot of names connected to this team over the next few days, even if they don't make a lot of sense on the surface. Take, for example, this latest rumor from Jon Heyman suggesting that Dave Dombrowski plans to pursue Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Daulton Varsho.
Daulton Varsho is among players who interest the Phillies. Philly seeks an OF, pen and a starter.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 30, 2026
Varsho is the son of Gary Varsho, an eight-year MLB veteran who spent the final season of his career (in 1995) in Philly. His first name seems familiar for a reason: yes, he is named after Darren. He might not be the exact remedy that the Phillies' woeful outfield has been in need of since Adolis Garcia went on the shelf, but Dombrowski could do a lot worse than a Gold Glover with a career .721 OPS.
Phillies' pursuit of Daulton Varsho is proof Dave Dombrowski is willing to compromise at trade deadline
If there's one thing defining the Phillies' trade deadline plans, it's this paradox: The team has a lot of needs, but not a lot of resources. Between an outfielder, a right-handed hitter, a starting pitcher, and a high-leverage relief pitcher, there are a lot of reinforcements needed, all of which will cost significant prospect depth that the team doesn't have to spare.
Hence, it'd be ideal if Dombrowski could locate a right-handed-hitting outfielder who kills two birds with one stone, but Varsho isn't that. Instead, he's a 30-year-old rental playing on a $10.75 salary with middling offensive numbers from the left side of the plate. So, why the interest?
First and foremost, Varsho is an excellent defender; he won a Gold Glove in center field in 2024 and remains quite effective there (+4 Outs Above Average) in 2026. He could kick Justin Crawford over to right field, though Varsho has also spent 629 career innings there and accrued +10 OAA. In other words, no matter how Don Mattingly would want to deploy him in the outfield, Varsho would be a significant defensive upgrade over those currently on the roster.
There's also the fact that he's running reverse splits this year, with a 96 wRC+ against lefties compared to a 92 mark against righties. That's not terribly impressive, but it is a quantum-sized leap over the collective output Phillies outfielders have produced this year (76 wRC+ vs. LHP). Varsho would be an everyday starter among this group, which is what the lineup has been lacking since Garcia went down.
Perhaps most importantly, because he's a rental and far removed from All-Star-caliber numbers, he won't cost much to acquire. The Phillies would have to give up a prospect or two in order to pry him out of Toronto, but they'd be able save their best trade chips for a blockbuster involving a pitcher. In the grand calculus of the trade deadline, that appears to be a trade-off Dombrowski is willing to make.
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