Philadelphia Phillies have a desperate need to trade for a starting pitcher

The winning streak is over for the Philadelphia Phillies but the season certainly is not. The team has a chance to fight for the National League East this year but settle for one of the three wild card spots if they are unable to get that title.

With the expectation that they will remain buyers at the trade deadline, a new major need is surfacing. It’s starting pitching.

Last week, I proposed the idea of needing to add a starting pitcher because of Ranger Suarez’s shortcomings. However, the need for another starter just goes beyond him. Zach Eflin and Kyle Gibson are inconsistent enough to the point where if the Phillies want to compete, they need to add a starting pitcher before the deadline.

A Philadelphia Phillies trade for a starting pitcher is no longer just a luxury.

After Eflin’s latest outing where he got roughed up in the first inning against the Miami Marlins, it became clear that the team has only two starters they can really rely on. The threesome of Eflin, Gibson, and Suarez have given the team a few nice starts this year yet each remains prone to struggle at times, too. The drop off from ace Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola’s promising start is way too stark for the team to simply hope the problem cures itself.

Will the Phillies go as far as to add Frankie Montas or Luis Castillo? We should have our doubts. The team’s farm system is plundered and not nearly deep enough to match what other teams would be offering for either of them.

Instead, the Phillies are a team in the market for whoever this year’s Gibson happens to be. The Texas Rangers have a pitcher, Martin Perez, who would fit this description. However, with a thin starting pitcher market available in trades, he may even become pricier than what the Phillies are willing to spend.

Another name to keep an eye out for is Jose Quintana of the Pittsburgh Pirates. His value dropped significantly after a recent bad outing. Before then, he was having a very good year.

Outside of Eflin, Gibson, or Suarez performing like an All-Star, the Phillies don’t have any obvious answers within the organization. The team has zero chance of going deep in the playoffs without a trusted third starter. As brilliant of a starting rotation as they have some days, it’s hard to win 10-9 every day.