2 reasons the Phillies will be trade deadline buyers, 2 to make them sellers

Heading into the 2023 season, it seemed like an automatic lock for the Philadelphia Phillies to get to the trade deadline in buyer mode. Despite missing the playoffs every year from 2012-2021, they often found themselves buying at the trade deadline instead of selling.

This season has them caught somewhere in between. They are still below .500 and while there is a ton of time to catch up, we have also witnessed them face some struggles that could hold them back. This may not be a year of adding a Brandon Marsh at the trade deadline. They may not even have enough wins to go out and grab a Jose Bautista near the end of his career.

Two reasons stick out the most as to why the Phillies will be trade deadline buyers. Another pair point toward a potential status as trade deadline sellers.

Phillies will be trade deadline buyers because they have too much invested in this season

What will the Phillies record be as they close in on the August 1 MLB trade deadline? Unless they have faded completely, expect management to push forward because of how much is already invested in the current club.

The Phillies aren’t inching closer to a championship. They’re right at the door. This is almost as good as it’ll ever get. There won’t be too many Bryce Harper years until maybe the very end when they decide to punt. With Trea Turner in the mix and the duo of Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler together in the rotation, it’s easy for the Phillies to convince themselves not to accept a sunk cost and to move forward in almost any scenario.

This leads well into the other reason why the Phillies will be trade deadline buyers. They learned the value of just getting into the playoffs last year.