Phillies Rumors: Mets outfielder picked as possible top Phillies trade target

The Philadelphia Phillies' outfield has been rumored to receive an upgrade by the MLB trade deadline on July 30. Players such as the Chicago White Sox's Luis Robert Jr. and Jazz Chisholm of the Miami Marlins have been considered options for Philly. However, either outfielder would cause Philadelphia to trade some of their top prospects in return, such as shortstop Aidan Miller and outfielder Justin Crawford.

However, there are several options that Philadelphia can consider trading for that will not cost them as much to part with in a deal. One player mentioned in rumors as a potential fit for the team is an outfielder from an NL East rival.

Phillies Rumors: Mets outfielder picked as possible top Phillies trade target

According to Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report, the Phillies could be a suitor for the New York Mets' Harrison Bader, who continues to be involved in trade rumors despite New York's resurgence in the standings. After a difficult May, they went 16-8 in June to get back in the NL Wild Card race. They are only 2.0 games out of the third Wild Card spot entering their July 4 contest versus the Washington Nationals.

Bader's slash line is .270/.316/.408 along with a .724 OPS through 74 games. He has primarily played in center field for most of his career with 620 appearances. He has played in right field 41 times and has 13 appearances in left.

Acquiring Harrison Bader would improve the Phillies' outfield depth

While the Phillies want to continue to exhibit patience with Johan Rojas, the Mets outfielder can increase their depth at the position. Backup Cristian Pache is not known for his offense — he has a .195/.302/.256 slash line in 41 contests. David Dahl has also been used in a backup role since Philadelphia called him up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Veteran utility player Whit Merrifield hasn't strengthened the Phillies' bench as envisioned when they signed him during the offseason. The 35-year-old hasn't transitioned well to a reserve role, with a .190/.277/.282 line in 48 appearances.

Nick Castellanos had his most productive month of the season in June. The right fielder finished with a slash line of .276/.325/.486 in 105 at-bats. However, he is known for his streakiness - he can look like the Phillies' best hitter for a brief period before looking like the worst.

Brandon Marsh has been the Phillies' most consistent option on offense. He has taken on the role of their cleanup hitter well with catcher J.T. Realmuto, designated hitter/left fielder Kyle Schwarber, and first baseman Bryce Harper all currently on the injured list.

The 26-year-old hasn't always started against left-handed pitching due to his struggles. He also missed time in June with a right hamstring strain. However, Marsh warrants consideration to play regularly with the club's lack of consistency at the plate from the position group. He has a .266/.349/.420 slash line and a .769 OPS in 66 games heading into the Phillies scheduled contest on July 4 versus the Chicago Cubs.

Besides Marsh and a streaky Castellanos, the Phillies could use another option to improve their production from the outfield. Bader is worth considering acquiring in a trade. He is a free agent at the end of the season, so the 30-year-old wouldn't cost Philly much in a trade compared with available outfielders who have years of club control remaining on their contracts, such as Robert and Chisholm.

However, with the Mets' success over the last few weeks, has the organization transitioned from sellers to buyers leading up to the trade deadline? If they still decide to take offers for Bader due to his pending free agency, the Phillies should consider adding him to improve the depth of their roster.