Philadelphia Phillies: One trade target is officially off the board

Major League Baseball’s trade deadline is less than a week away, and the action is already kicking off after the first major deal of the trade season. The good news is that it involves a player that fans have pined after for some time. The bad news is that the trade did not involve the Philadelphia Phillies. As the deadline approaches, the New York Yankees have set events into motion by trade for Kansas City Royals outfielder Andrew Benintendi.

The move makes perfect sense for New York as they pursue yet another World Series. Benintendi is an All-Star left fielder who figures to slot right into the same role for the Yankees. On the season so far, Benintendi boasts a .321 batting average which ranks fifth in the league among qualified batters.

In return for Benintendi, the Kansas City Royals received pitchers Beck Way, T.J. Sikkema, and Chandler Champlain. All three of the young prospects rank in the Yankees’ top 30 prospects according to Baseball America. That’s quite the price to pay, especially considering that Way was the Yankee’s 13th-ranked prospect, but landing an All-Star like Benintendi was an opportunity that New York had to take. But enough about the Yankees, how does this deal affect Philadelphia?

Andrew Benintendi is officially off the market after being traded to the New York Yankees, marking one target off the board for the Philadelphia Phillies.

After Benintendi was named an All-Star this season (the first time in his career), it seemed clear that he would likely be out of the Phillies’ price range, so perhaps this isn’t a great loss, but the team must still pivot on the trade market. They may not have to look too far, however, as there is another outfielder in Kansas City who is perhaps an even better fit.

Benintendi is certainly a reliable offensive bat but what the Phillies really need is an above-average defensive center fielder. Andrew Benintendi’s now ex-teammate, Michael A. Taylor, is exactly what the team needs. Taylor is an impressive defender in center field with one of the strongest arms in the league. A far cry from the days of Ben Revere in center. His bat may not be great, but it would still be a positive addition to the Phillies lineup.

Outside of Taylor, Bryan Reynolds of the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Chicago Cubs’ Ian Happ also make sense to fill the outfield void for the Philadelphia Phillies. There is still the option, however, that the team holds the prospect purse rather tight and ends instead with a buy-low candidate like Yankees outfielder Joey Gallo who now finds himself in an even more crowded outfield after the Benintendi deal.