What will the Philadelphia Phillies look to add at this year’s trade deadline? They could use a little bit of everything. Dave Dombrowski can treat the next few days like most of us will treat our selection of toppings at a frozen yogurt shop.
The Phillies could most certainly use another arm for the rotation. They should look to bolster the bullpen, too.
Even the starting lineup, as prolific as it can be on some days, could be the benefactor of some upgrades. After the trade deadline, it’s these three regular Phillies starters who could become part-time players.
1) Phillies shortstop Didi Gregorius could be a part-time player after the trade deadline
Didi Gregorius has battled injuries during his time with the Phillies but it’s probably not what he’ll be remembered for most. Gregorius has been, if nothing else, an underwhelming addition for the Phillies when on the field. He took a huge step back in every way possible from his best years with the New York Yankees. Meant to be a solution at shortstop for at least a few seasons, Gregorius had questionable defense right from the beginning.
It’s pretty amazing how consistently weak the position has been for Philadelphia. They’ve fallen a long way since the days of Jimmy Rollins.
While we can still hold onto hope that Bryson Stott is the solution, the team has tried everyone from Jean Segura to Asdrubal Cabrera to even Scott Kingery regularly at the position. They gave up on J.P. Crawford rather quickly, opening up an opportunity to sign Gregorius when they did.
Fortunately, the Gregorius era will come to a close and the Phillies can venture out this offseason for a major upgrade. They are already viewed as a top contender for Trea Turner. If not him, they’ll have other options out there from Atlanta Braves shortstop Dansby Swanson to others such as opt-out candidates Carlos Correa and Xander Bogaerts.
This year, trade options might be limited to Jose Iglesias. A better defender and a guy who has hit for a decent average, he could be someone the Phillies bring in at the trade deadline to at least put a little pressure on Gregorius to perform better. At the very least, he can give the club a little more infield depth.
2) Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm could be a part-time player after the trade deadline
There are plenty of Phillies fans already convinced Alec Bohm is not the answer at third base. Track every ball hit to him, and you’ll probably agree. He is far better equipped to play first base or become a major league DH. Of course, he’ll have to hit better before securing any everyday job at one of those spots.
Third base is the only opening the Phillies have for Bohm. And considering they don’t have anyone else to replace him, he has continued to get the majority of the innings at the position.
After his breakthrough in 2020, Bohm has been a much less productive hitter. Without much power, it’s hard to justify keeping him in the everyday lineup.
Bohm is still a major league player and has proven that much. Exactly how good he is remains a bit of a mystery. We’ve gotten everything from his great 2020 performance to his below-average sophomore slump in 2021. This year is somewhere in between.
The best third basemen the Phillies could probably land at the trade deadline is Brandon Drury of the Cincinnati Reds. The kind of player they had hoped Kingery would have become, he’s a versatile player who can move all over the field. He’d be a great fit and someone to possibly take over for Bohm on a regular basis but not completely remove him from regular starts.
3) Phillies center field Odubel Herrera could be a part-time player after the trade deadline
The most necessary change of all to the lineup would be to excuse Odubel Herrera completely from the team. The team could demote Bohm and they are very unlikely to cut ties with Gregorius because of the money they’d have to pay.
Herrera, on the other hand, is on a much cheaper deal. Nobody’s favorite center field option for the Phillies this season, the team unwisely brought him back and have gotten much of the same results.
The center field market is so shallow that if it was a soup you’d wonder why you just have a bunch of dry noodles in a bowl. There is one guy out there the Phillies could conceivably acquire and not cost them a whole lot. Michael A. Taylor of the Kansas City Royals would be the guy.
As much as Phillies fans would get pumped to see Andrew Benintendi come over, Taylor is the far greater fit to play center field for this club. That’s not to completely dismiss Benintendi entirely. It’s just not as realistic given how many suitors he’ll have and how little the Phillies can offer in trades.
One way or another, the Phillies need to upgrade center field over Herrera. A part-time role would suit him better. Designating him for assignment wouldn’t even be a step too far.