2 trades the Phillies should have made, 1 we are glad they didn't
By Eric Cole
The Phillies failing to add Mark Canha stings a bit
Going into the deadline, one need that had been pretty clearly articulated for the Phillies was a right-handed hitting outfielder. Philadelphia really needed to balance out their lineup and with their infield largely set in the near future, getting a righty bat with some pop for the outfield was the clearest fit. One name that did end up getting dealt that would have been a nice fit is Mark Canha.
This was a crummy trade deadline to need an outfield bat. Most of the teams that were selling just didn't have bats of note to trade. Adam Duvall seemed like a decent option, but Boston ended up not trading him at all. The Mets had a couple of options available in Tommy Pham and Mark Canha and between the two, it probably stings the worst to not land Canha.
Pham mashes lefties and has more pop, but his production over the years has been very inconsistent and he would likely come with some clubhouse concerns. Canha doesn't have a huge ceiling, but he has hit for some power, draws a ton of walks, and has posted an at least above average wRC+ in each of the last six seasons.
Canha ultimately landed with the Brewers who were really needing to boost their offense as well. Moreover, Milwaukee only gave up a minor league pitching prospect, Justin Jarvis, to nab him. It seems likely that some combination of the Mets wanting to charge the Phillies a premium because they are division rivals combined with the Phillies wanting someone that hits for more power ultimately led to a deal not getting done and the Philadelphia offense is lesser for it.
Speaking of an in-division trade that would have been rough to get done...