3 first basemen the Phillies should target at the trade deadline
The Phillies are a team that is looking to build on their success this season and push for better playoff positioning. Acquring one of these three first basemen can help round out their roster to do so.
The Philadelphia Phillies have found their groove as the season has gone on. That has been crystal clear as they have boasted a record of 26-12 since the calendar flipped to June. Such an exceptional winning run allowed the team to pull themselves as close as a half-game back of the first Wild Card spot as of this writing.
Improved play and winning are warmly welcomed, but with that winning comes a more magnified look at the team’s roster. That look is intentional to weed out the weaknesses in the clubhouse and a standout one is the first base position. A first baseman is typically a slugger’s position for a player to produce runs by using his power. That is why the club should target these three first basemen at the MLB Trade Deadline.
Candidate number one is Joey Gallo. Gallo is a 29-year-old who will hit free agency this upcoming winter. The left-handed power hitter is in his ninth year of MLB service. The once building block of the Texas Ranger and two-time all-star has begun to bounce just a tad around the league as he’s played for three teams in the past two seasons. He has suited up as a member of the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Minnesota Twins.
This season Gallo has bounced back after two disappointing campaigns. In his 72 games with the Twins, he has tallied a .187 batting average, .310 on-base percentage, .473 slugging percentage, 38 hits, 31 runs batted in, 29 runs scored, 16 home runs, eight doubles, 34 walks, and 97 strikeouts in 239 total plate appearances. The extra power would greatly benefit the Phillies. They are tangled in a three-way tie with the Seattle Mariners and Toronto Blue Jays for the 15th-most home runs in baseball. Think about dropping Gallo’s bat in the lineup in the midst of Trea Turner, Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos. That should certainly create more Phillies dingers.
The catch that comes with trading for Gallo is that he is a free agent at the end of the season and the Minnesota may not want to part with a run producer like Gallo when they still have a conceivable chance to win the AL Central. Also, he is making a salary that totals eleven million dollars which brings up the luxury tax question and if the Phillies will go over it again. It’s not safe to assume so but all of the team’s moves since last season’s deadline indicate that would do it again to finish the job of winning a World Series.
Another first baseman that the Phillies should target is Colorado Rockies first baseman, C.J. Cron. Cron is a nine-year MLB veteran and is in his third season with the Rockies. He is a bit of a journeyman as he is currently with his fifth team in the majors. The 33-year-old has enjoyed the two best seasons of his career. In those two years, Cron has 25-plus home runs, 25-plus doubles, and 90-plus runs batted in. The power is not totally in question. But if it is for you, here's Cron's rocket 500-foot homer from last year.
This season has not been too kind to the Colorado Rockie. The right-handed big bopper has not really come up big or bopped in runs for Colorado. In his 51 games, Cron has a .251 batting average, .297 on-base percentage, .455 slugging percentage, 47 hits, 29 runs scored, 11 doubles, nine home runs and 28 runs batted in in 198 plate appearances. He has struggled this year because he has been by the baseball slump bug that gets every and anybody at one or another. In addition to a slump, he has dealt with a lingering lower back injury since mid-May and was only activated three weeks ago on June 26th.
Despite that, Cron’s ability to drive in runs is still there. He just needs to get healthy and in rhythm. With runners in scoring position, Cron is a respectable hitter as he has a slash line of .235/.268/.510, 12 hits, 22 runs scored, two doubles, four homers, and 22 RBI in 51 at-bats. It’s noteworthy that out of his 29 RBI on the year, 22 of them have come when his teammates get into scoring position.
The final first baseman candidate Dave Dombrowski should make a target at the upcoming trade deadline is Carlos Santana. Santana is widely known as a longtime Cleveland Guardian but he is an old friend of the Phillies organization. Remember when Santana signed a decent-sized contract and was a part of former general manager Matt Klentak’s rebuilding plan? The switch-hitting first baseman is now a member of the in-state adversary, the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In his age-37 season, he is posting mediocre numbers overall. Santana has played in 87 games, hits for a .232 batting average, a .317 on-base percentage, a .386 slugging percentage, 74 hits, 40 runs scored, 22 doubles, nine home runs and 45 RBI in 359 plate appearances. Santana has been a nice example of a stable, run-producing first baseman in the Buccos’ lineup full of young talent. His 45 RBI is good enough for 14th-best in baseball among qualifying first basemen. On top of that, his 22 doubles are good enough for a three-way tie for fifth in the league in doubles.
Similar to Cron, Santana has been producing in those key spots with teammates on base. Let’s compare Santana’s numbers with nobody on base, runners on, and the all-important runners in scoring position. With no one on base, Santana has not been good enough as he is slashing .206/.286/.376, 35 hits, 11 doubles, six homers, six RBI, 19 walks in 170 at-bats. With a runner on, he is slashing .264/.355/.403, 38 hits, 24 runs scored, 11 doubles, three homers, 39 RBI, and 22 walks in 144 at-bats. Santana hits his best when there’s a scoring opportunity. He is slashing .278/.376/.389, 25 hits, 29 runs scored, seven doubles, one homer, 33 RBI, and 16 walks.
The Philadelphia Phillies are certainly making calls and doing their best to sniff out deals that make them better for the final couple of months of the season. Acquiring one of these first basemen should provide some type of certainty to the usual weak link point of the lineup. Even if it’s not one of these three players suggested, the team needs to address the first base position and acquire a player that can thrive in this lineup.