The Philadelphia Phillies haven’t had any good trade deadline moves in recent years. Was Wilson Ramos the only truly good addition they made back in 2018? Even his brief time with the club was forgettable as they never did anything during his short time in Philly.
We haven’t seen this team make it to the postseason since 2011. It feels a lot longer considering how awesome the years 2007-2011 were. The drought is a painful one. A big reason why the hump has grown is with all of the misses the team has had at the trade deadline.
To change this, the Phillies need to attempt to be a trade deadline winner. Accomplishing this will give them a great chance to make it into the postseason and have a chance to go far. What can they do to have the authority to raise their arms in “V” at 6:01pm on August 2?
1) The Phillies can win the trade deadline by acquiring the right starting pitcher
Luis Castillo? Frankie Montas? Another controllable young arm? They just aren’t so realistic for the Phillies. Guys like Nathan Eovaldi or Jose Quintana are far more logical for what the Phillies can and seem willing to offer.
Dave Dombrowski doesn’t need to make a huge splash in the waters when adding a starting pitcher. They don’t need a Cliff Lee. They need a Joe Blanton—the 2008 version.
Zach Eflin’s injury has made the need for a starting pitcher addition even greater for Philadelphia. Even if he does return, he or Ranger Suarez could end up as a candidate to move to the bullpen and bolster that further.
Starting pitching is one of the most important aspects of baseball and cannot be ignored. Without it, your team has zero chance of doing a thing.
Dombrowski needs to pick right.
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.
3) The Philadelphia Phillies can win the trade deadline by making the bullpen a major strength with another piece or two
The Phillies bullpen doesn’t care about their bad reputation. For several years, it has been a major weakness. However, in 2022, they have been pretty reliable even through the early struggles of Corey Knebel.
Along with Knebel, the team has gotten great performances out of Seranthony Dominguez, Brad Hand, and Connor Brogdon. Andrew Bellatti has been good, too. Nick Nelson is shaky but good enough behind the other guys as someone to at least keep the game close.
The Phillies do have two big questions in their bullpen. Between Jose Alvarado and Jeurys Familia, there is a major lack of trust. Each has a tendency to look amazing one night and fail to find the plate the next. The Philadelphia Phillies could do themselves a big favor by moving on from Alvarado specifically and finding another lefty to pair in the bullpen alongside Hand.
As essential as it is to have top-level starting pitching, a bullpen can make or break a team’s fortunes.
You already know that, though. You saw Brad Lidge close out every game he was handed in 2008. You also experienced the last few seasons of Phillies baseball where nobody could be trusted.
This season doesn’t quite have a “different feel” to it but the big additions of Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber in the offseason did give fans some faith. Dombrowski can reinvigorate that excitement by winning the trade deadline.