The Philadelphia Phillies and their front office have a real shot to further solidify themselves as World Series hopefuls if they can capitalize at the MLB trade deadline. Their president of baseball operations, Dave Dombrowski, is doing his fair share of scouting with only weeks left to prepare, but his willingness to put it all on the table could be a huge difference maker in trying to fend off the rest of the league.
The MLB trade deadline is set for July 31 at 6:00 p.m. ET. That means the hot stove is continuing to heat up as the rumors start to swirl until the final hour. The Phillies' front office, teams, and fans alike are excited to see what Dombrowski has planned in hopes that this could be a year to remember.
Rivals see Dave Dombrowski gearing up for his most aggressive trade deadline yet with the Phillies
One thing that was known about Dombrowski when he was in Florida, Detroit and Boston was that he was never afraid to move top prospects to acquire proven major league talent for a championship-hopeful team. In Philadelphia, the same scenario still applies. He brought the Phillies to a National League pennant and a World Series appearance in 2022, but has disappointingly fallen short each year since. The roster is older and in need of help, and an injection of new life will go a long way in paving their path to success.
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies are in a similar spot as recent deadlines, but there's growing belief around the league that Dombrowski could take a real "win-now" approach this time around (subscription required), officials from rival teams say.
"The Phillies, for now, sound more willing to trade bigger prospect chips for controllable big leaguers, especially a shutdown, late-inning reliever," Gelb says. "The Phillies have a top-heavy farm system; major-league sources said initial indications are the Phillies want to shop this July in a more expensive aisle than the rental one. They have the prospects to do it."
“The Phillies, for now, sound more willing to trade bigger prospect chips for controllable big leaguers, especially a shutdown, late-inning reliever.” - MattGelb #Phillies
— Alex Coll (@Alexcoll_) July 10, 2025
The Phillies' song and dance about needing a bullpen arm has felt like some kind of sick joke that has continued to sour every offseason. It has continued to be the biggest downfall of the team (subscription required), per Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer. That feeling still lingers this season, but this time just feels different. They have the prospects to get a sizable deal done. They just have to be willing to pull the trigger.
The Phillies have money owed to outfielder Max Kepler and reliever Jordan Romano, but both are only on one-year deals. If deals start to manifest themselves by the end of July, it could be a whole different experience watching the 2025 Phillies come August and beyond.