One week remains until MLB’s trade deadline passes, and the Phillies have a few clear weaknesses that will have to be addressed in some form in the near future.
For the third year in a row, the Phillies enter the middle of the summer with a shaky arrangement of outfielders. While much of the focus has been on a struggling bullpen that will need fortifying, the Phillies also have multiple holes in their lineup, with left field and center field being the obvious areas for improvement. Nick Castellanos is more or less locked into right field, but those other spots could realistically see upgrades.
Brandon Marsh figures to play in left or center against right-handed pitching moving forward, but with every passing day Max Kepler looks like less of a viable option. Johan Rojas has not made offensive strides. Weston Wilson and Otto Kemp have not done enough to inspire the sort of confidence that would enable the Phillies to ride it out with them. Kyle Schwarber or Bryce Harper returning to the grass feels extremely unlikely.
Adding at least one quality outfielder to the mix would do the Phillies a lot of good. Perhaps they expect that to be 21-year-old Justin Crawford, who is dominating in Triple-A and has firmly put himself on the radar for a call-up, according to President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski. But the safer bet would be adding that player via trade. With the market finally taking shape, there are 10 players around baseball that could make sense. Let’s break them up into four categories:
Tier 1: Best bang for your buck
• Taylor Ward, Los Angeles Angels
Ward would be a picture-perfect fit in this lineup, and that is not just because he has spent the last week dominating the Phillies and Mets. Ward, 31, has one full season left of control after this one and is making $7.825 million in 2025. The Angels’ direction is currently unclear, but they currently sit 5.0 games out of the final postseason spot in the American League with four other teams in between them and the Boston Red Sox, owners of that slot entering Thursday. At 49-53, it stands to reason that the Angels would at least consider moving their veterans.
The Angels outfielder to target is not Millville, NJ native Mike Trout, but his teammate Ward, whose undeniable power would make a major difference in a lineup sorely lacking it. Ward has 23 home runs (and 50 extra-base hits) in 100 games this season, slashing .232/.309/.488 on the season. He is not a high-average hitter and he strikes out quite often, but Ward has serious right-handed power and the Phillies are desperate for just that.
In fact, Ward could be the immediate fixture stopping the team’s revolving door in the clean-up spot. Schwarber and Harper appear entrenched in the two and three spots for Phillies manager Rob Thomson; not only does Ward have a better ability to protect Harper than Castellanos or Alec Bohm, but he has mashed left-handed pitching all year. Hitting behind those two left-handed sluggers would set up Ward to face plenty of southpaws — a luxury he does not currently enjoy:
| Ward vs. RHP in 2025 | Ward vs. LHP in 2025 |
| 352 PA | 82 PA |
| .223 AVG | .270 AVG |
| .301 OBP | .341 OBP |
| .463 SLG | .595 SLG |
The Phillies and Angels have been trade partners many times, from their pair of trade deadline deals in 2022 to the Carlos Estévez deal last deadline. Perhaps Ward’s pristine fit in Thomson’s lineup could lead to another deal getting done.
• Willi Castro, Minnesota Twins
Minnesota lines up as a natural trade partner for the Phillies on several fronts, with two outfielders and two right-handed relief pitchers that feel like ideal fits in Philadelphia. One of Castro’s teammates in the outfield has gained steam as a trade candidate in recent days — and we will get to that shortly, because it also makes sense — but Castro, an All-Star last year, is in the midst of his third consecutive season as an above-average hitter.
Castro is a rental, set to hit free agency this offseason, and he is not as productive on offense as Ward, though he has also had a strong year hitting left-handed pitching. He does, however, come with remarkable defensive optionality. Take a look at how much versatility Castro has shown from a positional perspective in just his first 80 games this season:
| Position | Appearances |
| 2B | 33 |
| 3B | 11 |
| SS | 5 |
| LF | 30 |
| RF | 23 |
If the Phillies traded for Castro, he could fill in for Bohm until the third baseman is recovered from his rib injury. Then he could move out to left field, and if Bohm, Castellanos, Trea Turner or Bryson Stott ever suffers an injury or needs a day off, Castro can move over on the spot. On a team juggling multiple platoons, that could come in handy.
• Harrison Bader, Minnesota Twins
A member of the 2024 Mets team that eliminated the Phillies last October, Bader has had a very strong season with the Twins and appears likely to be traded at another deadline as a rental. Bader has manned center field for much of his career, but with Byron Buxton owning that domain in Minnesota he has played a lot of left field, where his strong defensive acumen has translated.
A platoon role with starts against left-handed pitching has often been seen as Bader’s optimal role on a quality team. He has had much more power against lefties this season, but his production against right-handed pitching has been extremely similar this season. Bader is slashing .251/.330/.435 in 90 games with Minnesota, but his days there could be numbered.
Perhaps the Phillies could trade for Bader with the plan of platooning him with Marsh in left field and calling up Crawford to play center, while also knowing that if Crawford proves to not be ready to produce in the majors they can slide Bader into an everyday role in center field.
Tier 2: Stars (or something close)
• Steven Kwan, Cleveland Guardians
Kwan, who will turn 28 years old in September, is one of the game’s elite table-setters. Jon Heyman reported on Wednesday that the Phillies are among the teams interested in Cleveland’s leadoff hitter and All-Star outfielder.
The sell is obvious: Kwan is one of the better contact hitters in the game, takes his walks, avoids strikeouts and plays a stellar left field (he is also more than capable of playing center field).
Kwan is under control for two more years after this one, and the Guardians are not completely out of the postseason race by any means. He might be the single best player the Phillies could conceivably add to their outfield, but would it be worth trading a massive haul? The Phillies might be forced to give up Crawford as just part of a larger package to land Kwan that includes other highly-touted prospects. It would be a tough ask.
But the Phillies want to win the World Series, and a unit of Kwan, Turner, Harper and Schwarber at the top of an order is good enough to lead a team to those heights.
• Jarren Duran, Boston Red Sox
Duran will turn 29 in September and would come with three more years of control after this one. He had a superstar-caliber season last year, but even his biggest fans in Boston know that is probably not reflective of Duran’s true value. The Red Sox have a surplus of outfielders and a shortage of starting pitching with a potential need in the infield as well, leading many to believe Duran could be dealt.
Make no mistake, though: Duran is a very good player. He has slashed .278/.337/.471 since the start of 2023, also swiping 74 bases during that time. He can play left field or center field on an everyday basis. He has struggled against lefties this year, but has had periods of success against them in the past.
It does not feel like this is a perfect match, as the logical solution for the Red Sox if they trade Duran would be to deal him for someone that can immediately bolster their rotation. Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sánchez would obviously be off limits, Ranger Suárez is about to become a free agent, Aaron Nola is on a massive contract, Andrew Painter would almost certainly be off the table as well and Mick Abel probably does not come with enough certainty for Boston.
Tier 3: Buying low
• Bryan Reynolds, Pittsburgh Pirates
A 30-year-old switch hitter, Reynolds is making $12.25 million this season and then is on the books for another $75.25 million over the following five seasons. Pittsburgh’s finances are infamously tight, and perhaps they could look to get out of that deal amid a major down season for Reynolds, who is slashing just .237/.294/.382 this season.
However, Reynolds is a two-time All-Star with a clear track record of not just impressive success, but recent success. He played at least 145 games in every season from 2021 through 2024 and posted a line of .276/.352/.472 during that four-year period. Leading up to this season he has been one of the most consistently productive outfielders in the game. Many teams could bet on that history over an admittedly troubling 97-game sample in 2025.
• Adolis García, Texas Rangers
García took baseball by storm in 2023, making his second All-Star team, winning a Gold Glove and authoring an epic run of clutch October swings en route to a World Series victory with the Rangers. In the two years since, he has not been a good hitter, with a 252-game sample of .226/.279/.399 hitting as a right fielder and designated hitter. García, 32, still has high-end power and an elite arm; with one more year of control after this one it is not hard to imagine teams having interest if a surging Texas team ultimately opts to sell.
Since Garcìa has not played left field since 2021, the Phillies would have to be sure that he could quickly pick up that position again. They had that belief in Kepler, and while that signing has not worked out, those issues have stemmed from Kepler’s offense, not his defense.
• Cedric Mullins, Baltimore Orioles
Crawford’s potential call-up seeming increasingly possible makes a surefire centerfielder of Mullins’ ilk feel less likely to intrigue the Phillies. But Mullins, 30, has been a mainstay in Baltimore, and the Orioles held onto him for his final year of control in hopes of contending. Their season has been disastrous, and now teams in need of outfield help are surely calling.
In the last four years — a 504-game sample — Mullins has slashed .239/.308/.406. But this season has been his worst at the plate during that stretch; he has been a .214/.294/.398 hitter in 85 games.
Tier 4: Young with upside
• Jo Adell, Los Angeles Angels
Adell is only in his age-26 season with two more years of control after this one, so it might be a tougher sell for the Angels to move him than Ward even if they do sell. Adell is a former top prospect with swing-and-miss issues. He appeared on the verge of failing to become a quality major-leaguer, but has made a major step in the right direction this year thanks to impressive power. Adell has mostly been in center field this year, but can play in any outfield spot. He has already hit 21 homers this year, with a .786 OPS that is by far the best of his career.
If the Angels are willing to move Adell, the plan could be similar to the one outlined for Bader: a platoon with Marsh in left field while Crawford mans center, with the option to move him into an everyday role if Crawford struggles and needs to head back to the minor leagues. Ironically, Adell and Marsh are close friends from Marsh’s time with the Angels.• Luis Robert Jr., Chicago White Sox
Is this the year trade rumors surrounding Robert finally turn into a deal? The 27-year-old continues to struggle with the White Sox, but there are some points in favor of trading for him despite his .636 OPS. He is a strong defender in center field, a very good base-stealer and is obliterating left-handed pitching this season (Robert has a .966 OPS against lefties this year and a .529 OPS against right-handers). Robert is also in the last guaranteed year of his contract; he has team options worth $20 million in each of the next two seasons. Once again, a set platoon role with the chance for something more if others struggle could be on the table. Who knows how a move away from the White Sox can energize a player with Robert’s talent?
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