All aspects of the Philadelphia Phillies' game appear to be clicking lately, with their dominating early success leading them to the best record in baseball at 26-12. Despite the success, at least one area remains a potential question mark for them going forward: the outfield.
Nick Castellanos has been off to one of the worst starts of his career but has been coming around. Brandon Marsh has cooled off somewhat after a hot start. Johan Rojas has picked it up as of late but endured a horrendous first couple of weeks at the plate. With their outfield production in a constant state of flux, it could pose a potential weakness as the season progresses.
As a result, perhaps the Phillies should look towards a more concrete solution leading up to the trade deadline to fortify the outfield and ensure it will be an area of strength for the postseason push.
Is the Phillies' best trade deadline target already available in the division?
The Phillies' potential trade target may actually be already available, right in their own division. That player is none other than Miami Marlins outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the fire sale has begun for the 10-29 Marlins after they traded former batting champ Luis Arraez to the San Diego Padres last week.
Consequently, as their current best all-around player, Chisholm is their biggest trade chip who could give them the greatest value in a return package. Nightengale indicates that several baseball executives believe that Chisholm will be traded.
"Several baseball executives insist that Chisholm, who is under team control until 2027, will be dealt in the months to come," Nightengale writes.
What would Jazz Chisholm Jr. bring to the Phillies?
Chisholm has an elite combination of speed and power. In his five-year MLB career, he has averaged 27 home runs, 83 RBI and 32 stolen bases over a 162-game schedule. In addition, he provides positional flexibility beyond the outfield, with prior MLB experience starting at shortstop and second base. The 26-year-old would represent strong insurance depth all over the diamond.
Defensively, Chisholm sports a career .989 fielding percentage as an outfielder and .969 overall at all positions, making him a solid play in the field almost anywhere.
At the plate, in 38 games this season, the left-handed hitting Chisholm is batting .236 with a .714 OPS, five home runs and eight steals. He's striking out less and walking more than he ever has as he heads into the prime years of his career. Last season, in just 97 games, he hit .250 with a .761 OPS, 19 home runs and 22 swiped bags.
Lead us off, @j_chisholm3. pic.twitter.com/XkM2ETK49u
— Miami Marlins (@Marlins) May 8, 2024
He comes with a team-friendly $2.6 million salary this year, and is under team control through the 2026 season.
Rarely would a team want to trade within its own division, especially when it could ultimately help a rival down the road. But for a potential difference-maker like Chisholm for the stretch run, a postseason run, and the future, it could be worth the risk for the Phillies come the trade deadline or perhaps even earlier.