Philadelphia Phillies: 3 ways Dave Dombrowski can win the trade deadline
By Tim Boyle
2) The Phillies can win the trade deadline by adding some defensive depth
The Philadelphia Phillies don’t actually need to add much offense. There are a few spots that could use improvement. Center field sticks out the most.
The Odubel Herrera/Matt Vierling semi-platoon doesn’t need a complete overhaul. It’s the ninth spot in the lineup when everyone is healthy. Michael A. Taylor of the Kansas City Royals is probably the perfect addition they can snag based on his defensive abilities alone. He’s also an offensive improvement to look at, too. As a number nine hitter, he’d fit in great.
What the Phillies can also do is look for some defensive depth. It doesn’t need to be a Gold Glove winner at any particular position. A guy like Brandon Drury, who can play all over the place, would be a wonderful addition to the roster. It’s a real shame that Darick Hall is a first baseman/DH. His bat has been impressive. Unfortunately, this is already a team with several DH candidates on it. Soon enough, he could be trade fodder or heading down to Triple-A until they need his bat again.
Depth behind the starters was a doubt of many from the start. Guys like Mickey Moniak haven’t stepped up at any point. Johan Camargo, after a strong start to the year, has been much more mediocre.
The Phillies don’t have to overpay for a bat. They have plenty of those. To win the trade deadline, they need to fix deficiencies. One of the biggies is how much defensive flexibility they lack.