The Phillies have just over a week to formulate a plan for the trade deadline — which is fast approaching on July 30.
While the best team in baseball is the best team for a reason, there are still a bevy of areas for the team to target for an upgrade. But even with inconsistent (Nick Castellanos), unreliable (Johan Rojas), or unproven (Weston Wilson) options in the outfield, the Phillies appear to be content to stick with what they have. At least when it comes to the splashiest outfield options thought to be available:
– The Philadelphia Phillies have no interest in Miami Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm, have shied away from Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham and don’t believe that Oakland A’s outfielder Brent Rooker is a fit. [USA Today]
MLB insider Bob Nightengale seemed unambiguous when he wrote that the Phillies are mostly out on three of the biggest names on the trading block. The Phils no doubt want to play Brandon Marsh against every right-handed pitcher they can, which means they really only need a platoon bat to hit against lefties. None of the guys mentioned above would likely be amenable to that role.
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The Phillies might, however, still be perusing for an impact player next week. As was seen this weekend in Pittsburgh, the bullpen is very beatable at times. A top of the line reliever would help alleviate some concerns. The Phillies should go after the best one, right?
– The best reliever available on the market, executives say, is Marlins closer Tanner Scott. Scott is yielding a 1.30 ERA and has struck out 46 batters in 41 ⅔ innings.
The Phillies are keeping a close eye on Scott with closer Jose Alvarado’s recent struggles (4.35 ERA) and badly want another late-inning reliever. [USA Today]
A bit more on Scott — who is a lefty who is absolutely dominating right now. He just turned 30, has a respectable ERA of 3.66 over his eight-year career and would be a true rental, as he'll be a free agent after this season. That could bring the price down a bit for the Phillies, who should be in win-now mode without hesitation.
They have seen struggles from their late inning guys across the board, from Alvarado to Jeff Hoffman to Orion Kerkering. "Badly want another late-inning reliever" sounds about right.
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