4 trade candidates the Phillies should consider from NL West teams
Where should the Phillies look for outfield help in the NL West?
The Philadelphia Phillies trade deadline checklist was recently revealed by MLB insider Jim Bowden, who says the team is actively looking for outfield options to help fill both a starting and bench role. With almost all other aspects of the Phillies roster appearing set, it makes sense that they would want to upgrade in an area that has been the greatest weakness to date.
As a result, we'll look at some potential trade candidates from the NL West that the Phillies should consider to bolster the roster for the stretch run. Since help in the outfield is currently the main need, we'll keep the focus on outfielders for this review.
4 trade candidates the Phillies should consider from NL West teams
We'll start in San Francisco, looking at a nine-year veteran outfielder who used to play for the rival New York Mets.
Michael Conforto, San Francisco Giants
An intriguing option that has the potential of being a low-risk, high-reward for the Phillies to consider would be San Francisco Giants outfielder Michael Conforto. Prior to his unfortunate run into injury troubles the past few seasons, the former All-Star had been a consistent 30-homer, 80-RBI player for the New York Mets during his prime years. With a career .988 fielding percentage along with 47 outfield assists, his defense wasn’t too shabby either.
However, after missing the entire 2022 season due to shoulder surgery, Conforto hasn’t been quite the same. Some of his power production may have disappeared, but he should still be good for about 20 home runs and 60 RBI per season. He's currently slashing .230/.287/.405 with eight home runs and 25 RBI in 55 games.
With the ability to play all three outfield positions, he would provide the Phillies with the lineup flexibility. Added to the fact that Conforto would be a rental, it shouldn’t cost the Phillies too much in terms of assets to acquire the veteran. And if he manages to rediscover his prior dominant form, it could even turn into a jackpot for Philadelphia.
Jurickson Profar, San Diego Padres
Jurickson Profar has always had promise and potential ever since breaking into the league in 2012 with the Texas Rangers. For whatever reason, he has had trouble fulfilling that potential during his first 10 years in the majors. He's always good enough to play at the big league level, but not enough to break out as an elite player, perhaps until now.
Having turned 31 entering the 2024 MLB season, Profar has put together the best year of his career thus far with the San Diego Padres. In 80 games, he's batting a stellar .319 with a .897 OPS, along with 43 runs scored, 15 doubles, 10 home runs and 48 RBI while displaying great plate discipline by maintaining close to a 1:1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. His .319 batting average is currently second-best in the majors, behind Shohei Ohtani.
He may not be a perennial Gold Glover, but he can hold his own in the field, with only one error committed this year, and sporting a .984 career fielding percentage.
If the Padres end up falling out of contention, look for Profar to be on the move, as his contract is set to expire at the end of the season. At that point, it should be a no-brainer for the Phillies to jump in and acquire his potent bat as the final piece of their contending puzzle.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Arizona Diamondbacks
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. put together an All-Star season with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023, amassing a .261 batting average and .772 OPS while setting career-highs in runs scored (65), doubles (35) and home runs (24), to go along with 82 RBI in 145 games. More importantly, he put his much-improved defense on full display, registering 14 DRS with eight outfield assists while going error-free for the entire season. He has developed into a more well-rounded force to be reckoned with.
This year, despite some regression on defense, Gurriel has more or less maintained his offensive numbers. In 72 games, he's batting .263 with 34 runs scored, 12 doubles, 10 home runs and 43 RBI. Although Gurriel can be streaky, when he is actually on his game, he can be one of the more dangerous hitters in baseball. Once he can produce on a more consistent basis, he will likely rank up there with some of the best in the business.
If Gurriel is somehow made available by the Diamondbacks in the coming month, he is definitely worth the gamble for the Phillies to upgrade their outfield. He would fit seamlessly into the Phillies lineup, and provide adequate defense in left field. Gurriel helped end the Phillies’ season last year in the NLCS, so perhaps he can make amends by helping them get over the hump this time around.
Brenton Doyle, Colorado Rockies
He may not be a household name at the moment, but Brenton Doyle of the Colorado Rockies could be a star in the making. After being selected in the fourth round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Doyle rapidly ascended the Rockies’ minor league system with his combination of elite hitting, speed and defense. As a result, he made his MLB debut in 2023 towards the end of April and promptly solidified his spot in the everyday lineup.
Although he put together just a sub-par offensive rookie season with a .203 average along with 48 runs scored, 10 home runs and 48 RBI in 126 games, Doyle was spectacular defensively with 10 outfield assists and 19 DRS while sporting a .991 fielding percentage en route to capturing a Gold Glove in just his first year in the league.
This season, he has improved significantly at the plate after becoming more comfortable against MLB pitching, compiling a .265 batting average, .717 OPS, 43 runs scored, six home runs, 24 RBI and 18 stolen bases in 74 games.
In Doyle, the Phillies would essentially be getting another Johan Rojas, but in a more polished and advanced state, who could fit right in as an everyday player. Since Doyle still has years of control left, obtaining his services would likely cost a lot more, but it may be all worth it for the Phillies in the end if they want the elite combination of hitting, defense and speed on the basepaths as their starting center fielder.
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