Phillies Rumors: Pair of rival World Series contenders plotting massive trade offers

With the MLB All-Star Game and 2024 Draft now in the rearview mirror, the Philadelphia Phillies front office will refocus the organization's attention on a strategy for the upcoming July 30 trade deadline. The Phillies are reportedly casting a wide net in this year's developing trade market, and while rumors abound, it's still a mystery how aggressive the team will actually be in the pursuit of upgrades before the last seconds tick away at the deadline.

Here's what we do know. The Phillies have long been attached to outfielders ranging from superstar talents to complementary pieces. They're also rumored to be kicking the tires on the market for available closers, and it seems like every name on the market has come with the Phillies name attached as a suitor. We've entered silly season, so expect the Phillies to be one of the most prominent names listed on just about every available player going forward.

The pursuit of starting pitching is one of the only areas of the trade market where the Phillies have not been rumored to be a major player. While the team has dealt with its share of issues recently, most notably with the struggles of Ranger Suárez and injuries to Zack Wheeler, Taijuan Walker, and Spencer Turnbull, the Phillies don't seem to think this is a major problem worth solving at the deadline.

If news from the last couple of days is any indication, things are about to get crazy with the market for one notable starting pitcher beginning to generate industry buzz. Enter into the equation two of MLB's best teams, both reportedly prepared to enter into a bidding war. When the dust settles, we could see one of these two teams making the biggest splash of any in this year's MLB trade deadline.

Pair of rival World Series contenders plotting massive trade offers

While the Phillies seem prepared to stay the course with its current rotation into the postseason run, a pair of World Series contenders are reportedly making a trade for a front-line starting pitcher a priority before July 30. It was reported by Sports Illustrated's Tom Verducci this week that the Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles have significant interest in Detroit Tigers ace left-handed pitcher Tarik Skubal.

The Dodgers and Orioles each have a similar problem as they try to maintain dominance within their respective divisions. Both team's rotations have been decimated by injuries, and while their elite offenses have prevented both from treading too much water, pitching wins ball games in October. According to Verducci, both contenders, Baltimore in particular, are prepared to make the Tigers an offer they can't refuse.

"Baltimore is built to win," wrote Verducci." "But with season-ending injuries to Kyle Bradish and John Means, Baltimore finds itself running out of playoff-caliber starting pitching behind Corbin Burnes and Grayson Rodriguez. The Orioles’ system is loaded with enough quality hitters to build a package without including top prospect Jackson Holliday."

While the Tigers have not publically made Skubal available, the asking price for a 27-year-old top-of-the-rotation starter with two years of team control remaining will likely command a haul of prospects from either the Dodgers or the Orioles. The Tigers would likely acquire a prospect package that rivals the one the Washington Nationals received from the San Diego Padres in the Juan Soto deal at the 2022 trade deadline.

The Dodgers will see most of their starting rotation return at some point in the second half, with Tyler Glasnow, Walker Buehler and Yoshinubo Yamamoto all currently in rehab mode. But the Dodgers are built to win now, and having come up short in three consecutive seasons since winning a World Series in 2020, that could be the deciding factor in forcing LA's hand to part ways with a massive haul of prospects later this month to land Skubal.

Skubal is currently 10-3 with a 2.41 ERA with 140 strikeouts in 116 innings for the Tigers this season. There's little doubt that the addition of the 2024 All-Star will make a major impact on a contender that has the right package of available young talent to convince the Tigers to consider dealing a potential AL Cy Young Award candidate.