The clock keeps ticking, and while there remains little movement in the MLB trade market ahead of Thursday evening’s deadline, there appears to be an expectation that an avalanche of deals is nearing.
The Phillies have yet to make a trade despite having several needs. They did sign 40-year-old relief pitcher David Robertson, and the veteran righty is expected to play an important role in stabilizing a bullpen that reportedly remains the focus of the team’s deadline efforts.
But the Phillies have a clear need in the outfield as well, where Nick Castellanos’ decent offense and lackluster defense in right field are the only guarantees. Brandon Marsh has had a season of ups and downs, while it has been mostly downs for Max Kepler and Johan Rojas. A potential call up for Justin Crawford looms as well.
Adding to the bullpen is this team’s clear priority before Thursday evening, but some outfield assistance could provide a significant lift, too. Which potential trade partners can offer the Phillies help in both areas?
Minnesota Twins
Outfielders: Harrison Bader, Willi Castro
Relief pitchers: Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Brock Stewart, Danny Coulombe (L)
Minnesota is the single most logical trade partner for the Phillies at this deadline because of the number of viable options on their roster.
In the outfield, Bader might be the prototype of what the Phillies should be looking for: a player with strong defensive ability in left field and center field, a track record of thriving against left-handed pitching and a fighting chance against righties. Bader has been better than expected against right-handers this year, making him one of the stronger rental outfielders on the market.Castro is not the caliber of outfield defender Bader is, but he has significant versatility. Castro can also play in the infield, which offers additional optionality for any manager. Castro could fill in for Alec Bohm at third base until Bohm returns from his rib injury, then move to left field.
Duran is one of the game’s elite closers; with Emmanuel Clase off the trade market due to MLB’s ongoing gambling investigation Duran represents the absolute best weapon the Phillies could add to their bullpen this week. Jax is not quite as dominant, but boasts stellar strikeout stuff and is without question the sort of high-leverage arm the Phillies are looking for. Whether Jax is used in the ninth inning or earlier, his ability to generate whiffs would be an important addition.
If the prices for Duran and Jax are too rich, the Phillies could instead target Stewart, a controllable righty without as much experience in big spots. Stewart, who will turn 34 years old in October, owns a 2.38 ERA and 1.08 WHIP in 34.0 innings this season.
The Phillies are close to welcoming back José Alvarado for the final six weeks or so of the regular season, but will need some additional left-handed relief help in October when Alvarado is ineligible to pitch. If Jesús Luzardo or Ranger Suárez cannot help on that front, Coulombe can. In 112.0 innings since the start of 2023, the 35-year-old southpaw has posted a 2.17 ERA. He has been similarly dominant against right-handed hitters (.458 OPS against) and left-handed hitters (.461 OPS against) this season.
Los Angeles Angels
Outfielders: Taylor Ward, Jo Adell
Relief pitchers: Kenley Jansen, Reid Detmers (L)
Ward, 31, comes with another year of control after this one and is a no-doubt-about-it everyday left fielder. He has excellent power and would be the Phillies’ best option to hit cleanup protecting Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. If the Phillies are serious about bolstering their outfield — even if it means blocking Crawford for the rest of the year — Ward might be their best bet, providing the sort of pop their lineup has sorely lacked outside of those two lefty sluggers.
Adell also has serious power as a right-handed-hitting outfielder, but is a less well-rounded hitter than Ward with a much inferior track record. But he is younger — just 26 years old — and has two more years of control after this one with the ability to play in center. Would the Angels place a higher price tag on the older and more proven Ward, or the younger and more controllable Adell?
If the Angels end up selling, the most logical piece of their team to go would be Jansen, despite being a rental reliever nearing his 38th birthday. Even if Jansen is not quite what he used to be — one of the best closers in history — he remains a very good pitcher with plenty of October experience in the ninth inning.
Jansen is not the only interesting option in their bullpen, though, as Detmers has made strides as a starter-turned-reliever this year. Detmers just turned 26 years old and comes with another three years of control after this one, so there is no certainty that the Angels would trade him. But he would provide some more quality left-handed pitching, and perhaps a return to starting could be in the cards down the line if needed.
Baltimore Orioles
Outfielders: Ramón Laureano, Cedric Mullins (L)
Relief pitchers: Andrew Kittredge
Last season, Laureano was struggling mightily with the Cleveland Guardians. His major-league life appeared to be on the ropes. Then he went to Atlanta and crushed for the Braves for the final months of the season, signed with the Orioles and got even better. The 31-year-old is slashing .291/.356/.531 this season while having played all three outfield positions (only one game in center field). He comes with a $6.5 million team option for 2026 that, at this rate, will be an easy option to pick up.
A Baltimore mainstay expected to be rented out at the deadline, Mullins has disappointed in his contract year but would at least provide some stability in center field, where the Phillies have not had much reliability in recent years. So far this season, Mullins has odd reverse splits (a .689 OPS against righties and an .842 OPS against lefties), which one of those numbers trends closer to the other will determine his value in the final months of the season.
While Baltimore’s bullpen selling is mostly done with closer Félix Bautista likely off the table due to an injury and old friends Gregory Soto and Seranthony Domínguez traded to the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays, they still have a veteran righty capable of helping a contender’s bullpen in Kittredge. The 35-year-old with a nasty slider has held all opposing hitters to a combined .225/.269/.387 slash line this season and comes with a $9 million team option for next season.
Washington Nationals
Outfielders: Alex Call
Relief pitchers: Kyle Finnegan
Call still only has 920 major-league plate appearances under his belt, but the 30-year-old outfielder is slashing .314/.359/.443 against lefties this season after crushing them to the tune of a .290/.389/.516 line last year — albeit in a tiny sample size. Call is not a high-upside player, but if the Phillies want to make a marginal addition in hopes of finding a platoon partner for Marsh he could be an interesting option.
The more conventional trade target on the Nationals is Finnegan, a hard-throwing righty the Phillies reportedly had interest in at this time last year. Washington never moved Finnegan, then oddly non-tendered him, only to bring him back on a one-year deal for his final year of control. They were surely hoping for better results than they have gotten from the 33-year-old this year; Finnegan’s ERA has gone up and his strikeout numbers have gone way down.
Chicago White Sox
Outfielders: Luis Robert Jr.
Relief pitchers: Steven Wilson
Much has been made about Robert’s trade candidacy, with the Mets and Phillies among teams interested in the former top prospect experiencing a bit of a resurgence at the right time. Robert is making $15 million this season; after that his contract contains a pair of team options worth $20 million. He has been a massive disappointment over the last few years, but the allure remains. Even amid his struggles, Robert has performed well against left-handers and stolen bases. He has the floor of a platoon outfielder with a much higher ceiling. His home run off Christopher Sánchez on Monday was just another point in his favor.
The main trade chip on the pitching side for the White Sox is starter Adrian Houser, but as they try to add depth to their bullpen, the Phillies could ask about Wilson. A 30-year-old with a 2.91 ERA in 34.0 innings this year that is probably somewhat flukey but still impressive, Wilson has a sweeper, fastball and changeup mix. He has struggled against left-handed hitters this year but held righty bats to a collective .226/.313/.286 line. He has faced 99 right-handed hitters and allowed no home runs.
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