Phillies' trade deadline outfield needs could be met by NL East rival ready to sell

The Philadelphia Phillies front office has its work cut out for them this month, with the MLB Draft beginning on Sunday night and the MLB trade deadline looming on July 30. While fans tune into the MLB All-Star game on Tuesday to watch the Phillies' seven All-Stars lace 'em up and tired players get some well-needed rest over the break, the Phillies, along with the other 29 MLB franchises, will be plotting a course for the future, both near and far.

We've arrived at the tipping point in the second week of July, with trade rumors now generating buzz and fans taking stock of what their teams need to make a run at playing meaningful baseball in September and October. Some teams are just one or two players away from plugging holes necessary to compete in divisions where Wild Card spots are still well within reach, and other teams are being forced to abandon playoff hopes by trading away key pieces and focusing on 2025 and beyond.

The Phillies are lucky to be one of the teams with some shopping to do in the next few weeks. While trying to diagnose weakness on a team that is currently 61 -32 and 9.5 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves might seem like nitpicking, the Phillies are a team with needs and a lingering sour taste in their mouths from last October's shocking NLCS defeat.

With various MLB insiders reporting that the Phillies are entrenched in the trade market for a closer and possible outfield help, the odds of the Phillies making a trade at the deadline seem very likely. However, Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies front office remain tight-lipped on who the team may target over the next two weeks. With the buyers beginning to separate themselves from the sellers, the Phillies could look to a division rival to make some key upgrades.

Phillies' trade deadline outfield needs could be met by NL East rival ready to sell

The Washington Nationals made one of the biggest trades in MLB trade deadline history back in 2022 when they traded unhappy superstar outfielder Juan Soto to the San Diego Padres in an eight-player swap that sent shockwaves throughout the baseball world. The Nationals' return was a staggering amount of young talent, including shortstop C.J. Abrams, left-hander MacKenzie Gore, and outfielder James Wood, in addition to outfielder Robert Hassell III and right-hander Jarlin Susana.

The franchise-altering deal meant two things for the Nationals at that time. The team had acquired pieces representing a bright future for the franchise, but now firmly back in rebuild mode, contending would have to take a backseat to development. Nearly two years removed from that blockbuster trade, that's where the Nationals currently find themselves.

According to a recent report from Ken Rosenthal, Katie Woo and Patrick Mooney of The Athletic, the 42-52 Nationals have announced their intentions to be sellers again (subscription required) at this year's trade deadline.

While the current rebuild shows promising results, the Nationals have a few intriguing names to offer that could net them another decent haul of prospects over the next few weeks. The Phillies haven't been named as suitor yet, but the Nationals have three players who could make an inter-division deal between the rival ball clubs worth visiting.

"In addition to entertaining trade offers for two players on expiring contracts, outfielder Jesse Winker and reliever Dylan Floro," wrote Rosenthal et al. "Rizzo is open to moving others who have only one additional year of club control remaining — outfielder Lane Thomas and relievers Kyle Finnegan and Hunter Harvey. (Another potential free agent, righty Trevor Williams, is on the injured list with a right flexor muscle strain.)"

With the Phillies' current outfield needs well known, the team has recently been attached to names like Oakland Athletics Brent Rooker and Chicago White Sox Luis Robert Jr. While Thomas and Winker are clearly in a tier below those two, the Phillies could opt to make a minor move with their sights set on finding a better-hitting platoon option to pair with Brandon Marsh and move on from Cristian Pache. The Athletic report reinforces the notion that the Phillies might not be motivated to make a big splash at the trade deadline.

While the Phillies keep their trade deadline plans close to the vest, it remains to be seen if the Phillies and Nationals would be willing to make a deal within the division. Dombrowski and the Phillies have the trade capital via a healthy surplus of prospects to get a number of deals done. The question remains, how willing are the Phillies to part with any one of their top five prospects to make a trade before July 30?