3 Phillies who won’t be on the roster by August 1
Expect these three Philadelphia Phillies players gone before July is over.
By Tim Boyle
August 1 has significance for all 30 MLB teams this year. It’s not just the flip of a calendar. It’s the 2023 date for the MLB trade deadline. For the Philadelphia Phillies, it’s their last big effort to improve the roster prior to what they’re hoping is a run to the World Series.
The Phillies roster has some holes and we can expect the front office to add some significant pieces. However, some of those additions won’t come until the final hours before the trade deadline. A player like Cristopher Sanchez might be able to stick around through most of August 1 until the Phillies finally make their starting pitching splash.
Others won’t linger as long. It’s these three Phillies we should fully expect to be off the roster in some fashion before July is through.
1) The Phillies roster won’t have Darick Hall on it by August 1
Power-hitting first baseman Darick Hall stepped up in a big way for the Phillies in 2022 during the absence of Bryce Harper. He had a chance to do the same with Rhys Hoskins out for the year. Sadly, he suffered an injury of his own.
Hall is now getting an opportunity to play for the Phillies but it is likely to be short-lived. The inevitable shift from DH to first base for Bryce Harper will make Hall completely redundant on the roster. He’s already not a perfect fit, but if Harper is able to perform well enough defensively, the Phillies might want to send him down to the minors again in favor of a more versatile defender.
The Phillies swapped Kody Clemens for Hall earlier in July, hopeful the change would give a boost to the offense. It hasn’t provided any sort of spark.
Hall will ultimately find himself in the minors because the Phillies have added to their bench prior to the trade deadline. Whether it’s a first baseman, third baseman, or just a better fit or the bench, it’s hard to see how Hall has a significant role on the Phillies. The only way is if he gets real hot, real fast.
Hall is just 8 for 46 in his first 15 games with Philadelphia this year.