Phillies have obvious needs to fill for a successful trade deadline
As the trade deadline looms, there are a few areas in which the Phillies need to add to improve the roster for the stretch run.
Major League Baseball's trade deadline is just under two weeks away. At this point, it has largely been determined which teams will be selling at the end of the month and which teams will be looking to add.
Given their record and success in the first half of the season, the Philadelphia Phillies will be looking to buy at the deadline. The club has been linked to a multitude of different players around baseball. It's unclear at this time how much the Phillies are willing to part with in terms of their top prospects. It is likely, however, that the front office will at least attempt to acquire a marginal piece or two prior to the July 30 deadline.
Phillies have obvious needs to fill for a successful trade deadline
While the Phillies have the most wins in MLB at the All-Star break, there's always room to improve a club with deep postseason aspirations. From what fans saw in the first half, the club can contend with just about any other team in the game. However, if other teams are improving, the Phillies need to look to do the same.
The club doesn't need to make any blockbuster moves. They don't want to deplete the farm system, and they don't need another superstar. The club could use some upgrades though, and it would be disappointing if the front office stood pat and failed to improve the current roster.
There are two feasible areas in which president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld could aim to set the club up for success come the second half.
The Phillies need to add another outfielder at the trade deadline
Heading into the All-Star break, one of the more glaring concerns has been the offensive production from the outfield — specifically against left-handed pitching. To this point in the season, Phillies left fielders have just a .673 OPS, while center fielders have an even lower .608 OPS.
The lineup has been good enough overall to cover that up, but in the postseason, those positions would likely get exposed by dominant pitching. The club has been tied to a number of outfielders. Some of those names, like Jazz Chisolm, have been taken out of the equation. Meanwhile players like Luis Robert Jr., Cody Bellinger and Brent Rooker may cost the Phillies more than they are willing to give up.
Other players the Phillies could set their sights on would be Lane Thomas of the Washington Nationals or Taylor Ward of the Los Angeles Angels. Some of these players would cost the team a haul of prospects, but the benefits could outweigh the loss if they produce and can help power the offense to another shot at a World Series.
A contending team can never have enough bullpen arms
Phillies relievers have pitched well all season. The bullpen was a strength for the club throughout the first half. In a playoff series, however, teams rely heavily on relief arms, and the Phillies would be wise to add one for the right price.
Adding a veteran arm from a selling team to add to an already stacked bullpen with Jeff Hoffman, Matt Strahm, Orion Kerkering and José Alvarado would only help the Phillies chances in a long, drawn-out postseason matchup. There have been rumors of multiple high-leverage relievers being made available at the trade deadline.
Some of those names include Tanner Scott of the Miami Marlins, Kyle Finnegan of the Nationals, Kirby Yates of the defending champion Texas Rangers, and Michael Kopech of the Chicago White Sox. Each of these relievers could likely be acquired at a reasonable price.
Perhaps one of the most coveted relief pitchers in baseball is Oakland Athletics closer Mason Miller. He would cost the team an arm and a leg, given the hype surrounding his power arm and the number of years of club control an acquiring team would receive. While getting a pitcher like Miller would be a nice acquisition, the Phillies don't need to diminish the farm system for a position that is already a strong point for the club.
By the time August rolls around, the Phillies will have ideally traded for an outfield bat who can hit for power and hit well against left-handed pitching and another reliable bullpen arm. The team is in a "win now" window, and the front office should realize that. If both of these needs are filled, Phillies fans should be happy heading into the final months of the season and the postseason.
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