For the past couple of weeks, many rumors have been swirling around for the Philadelphia Phillies, ranging from trade targets such as Marcus Stroman, all the way to Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani.
In recent days, another potential trade target has arisen in that a power-hitting outfielder from the Boston Red Sox is available for the Phillies to pursue.
On The Baseball Insiders FanSided Podcast with Robert Murray and Adam Weinrib (at the 26th minute mark), they identified Red Sox outfielder Adam Duvall as a prime candidate for the Phillies to land at the trade deadline.
Adding to the ongoing list of available outfield power bats in Cody Bellinger, Teoscar Hernández, and Tommy Pham to name a few, Duvall becomes the latest attractive target for the Phillies in bolstering their roster for the playoff chase. Duvall is definitely no stranger to the trade deadline. As a matter of fact, just recently in 2021, he was traded from the Miami Marlins to the Atlanta Braves, and eventually helped the Braves capture their first World Series title since 1995.
For the 2023 season, Duvall was out for a good chunk of the season when he fractured his wrist trying to make a diving catch on April 9th. He returned almost two months later in June and since then, he has produced a solid campaign, hitting .260 with an .854 OPS, 24 runs scored, eight home runs, 28 RBI and four stolen bases. In a good, average season for Duvall, he can easily provide over 20 home runs and 60 RBI while playing in a part-time role, so he could potentially be a huge difference maker for the Phillies down the stretch if they could acquire his services. In particular, if the Phillies still plan to give some playing time to their youngsters in the outfield at the same time, Duvall would more than likely fit in perfectly in the part-time role that he had been used to already in the years’ past.
Nevertheless, the Phillies will definitely address the need of a power-hitting outfield bat, whether that ends up being Duvall or another player, only time will tell. For Phillies’ sake, if they do end up getting Duvall, they will certainly hope he can provide the same magic and success that he did during the Braves championship run in 2021.