3 Trade Targets the Phillies Must Pursue at the Deadline
By Tyler Maher
As baseball season heads into the final week of July, the Phillies are once again in the thick of things. Entering play on July 24, they are only half a game out of playoff spot in the National League.
Fortunately for Philly fans, they don’t have to worry about their team standing still at the MLB Trade Deadline next week. President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski has a long history of making aggressive moves to address his teams’ needs, and he’ll likely do so again with a postseason berth firmly in reach.
The Phillies are a good and talented team, but they are not without their flaws. Here are three trade targets they should pursue at the trade deadline if they want to get back to the World Series.
3 Phillies Trade Targets
Shohei Ohtani, SP/DH
When it comes to landing stars, few baseball execs are better at it than Dombrowski. David Price, Chris Sale and Trea Turner are just some of the big names he’s added to his teams in recent years.
With the Angels reportedly considering offers for Ohtani ahead of the deadline, this is the perfect time for Dombrowski to flex his muscles. He has a great knack for identifying which prospects to trade and keep, and he generally has no problem shipping out unproven youngsters in exchange for proven stars.
The Phillies could certainly use a player of Ohtani’s caliber, especially in the rotation. Aaron Nola and Zack Wheeler haven’t performed quite as expected, leaving the team without a true ace. Bringing in Ohtani would fix that while also adding an MVP-level bat to the lineup next to Bryce Harper.
If there was ever a time to go all-in for a star, this is it. A player like Ohtani could put Philly over the top in the playoff race and essentially guarantee a postseason berth all by himself.