Phillies in danger of being left out in the cold by biggest trade deadline seller

By now, everyone knows that with the season the Chicago White Sox are having, currently dead last in the majors, they will be one of the biggest sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. They certainly have many useful pieces that could significantly help contending teams, including the league-leading Philadelphia Phillies. In fact, the White Sox could be a one-stop shop to fill all of the Phillies’ needs in one go.

However, The Athletic recently revealed that Chicago had sent top scouts to monitor prospects (subscription required) in potential suitors' farm systems. Among them included the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Dodgers and Seattle Mariners, but the distinguished list apparently didn't include the Phillies.

If that's any indication of whom the White Sox intend to deal with, that could mean bad news for Philadelphia, as they don’t appear to be one of the top destinations in terms of prospects that Chicago is looking into.

Phillies in danger of being left out in the cold by biggest trade deadline seller

White Sox players who could help the Phillies include outfielder Luis Robert Jr., starter Garrett Crochet, closer Michael Kopech and even Tommy Pham.

With an upgrade in the outfield an obvious need, Robert would fit the bill given his past credentials, as the former All-Star has been both a Gold Glove and Silver Slugger winner. He could substantially help the Phillies both in the field and at the plate.

For pitching, the Phillies desperately need some starting pitching help after seeing both Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull go down to injuries in recent days. Crochet has been one of the top-performing pitchers despite playing on a struggling White Sox team. He has compiled a 6-6 record with a 3.05 ERA and 0.94 WHIP, with a whopping 130 strikeouts in just 94 1/3 innings pitched.

As for Kopech, he could help boost the Phillies bullpen by providing some insurance in the closer role if José Alvarado and/or Jeff Hoffman were to falter down the stretch. With seven saves and 48 strikeouts in just 34 1/3 innings of work, Kopech and his electric stuff could be a solid addition to what is already a dominant relief corps.

Finally, Pham would be a decent consolation prize if the Phillies fail to land Robert. Pham may not be quite at Robert's level, but he certainly can hold his own at the plate and in the field, as witnessed during his 11-year MLB career. With the ability to average close to 20 home runs and 70 RBI a season, he would provide some much-needed offensive boost from the outfield position down the stretch.

Hopefully the fact that the White Sox didn’t have any top scouts in the Phillies’ minor leagues doesn’t officially rule them out as one of the main contenders for their available players. If all else fails, the Phillies could engage in a potential blockbuster with Chicago to help steer things back into their corner.