What Is the Phillies’ Biggest Trade Deadline Need?

With another trade deadline approaching, the Philadelphia Phillies yet again require a series of big swings that put them on track to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Philadelphia is 43-24 since Don Mattingly replaced Rob Thomson as skipper. The club has been one of the best teams in baseball in his brief tenure. However, the team still has multiple big holes that need to be addressed when the August 3 trade deadline rolls around.

The Phillies have three clear areas of need: a back-end starter, a high-leverage left-handed reliever, and an impactful right-handed bat. The problem the Phillies face is that their farm system is currently very weak, and acquiring each of those needed players would be very expensive.

Stats updated prior to games on July 11.

The Right-Handed Bat

The Phillies’ most crucial necessity is a right-handed bat. With Alec Bohm and Trea Turner both hovering around a .650 OPS, the Phillies lack that right-handed threat that can provide a huge boost to their lineup.

While Turner has hit well over the last couple of weeks, and Bohm has somewhat rebounded from his dreadful start, neither of them is the hitter the Phillies need. When Turner is going well, he’s a strong leadoff hitter for the Phillies. When Bohm is going well, he’s still not the caliber of hitter the Phillies need to have behind Bryce Harper.

The Phillies have fallen short in multiple seasons right now, and it has never been about the pitching. The problem the club has is not being able to hit in October. Harper has turned in historic postseason numbers as a Phillie, but he’s never gotten the help he needs.

Philadelphia knew this was a need in the offseason, which is why they sought out the services of Bo Bichette. When they failed to sign Bichette, they opted to bring back J.T. Realmuto. They also signed Adolis García earlier in the offseason.

Realmuto just isn’t the same hitter he was in his prime, while García was just plain bad for the Phillies prior to his season-ending injury.

With those two offseason moves to address the right-handed problem going awry, the club is back in the same boat they have found themselves in at past deadlines. The team has attempted patchwork with platoon hitters like Harrison Bader and Austin Hays at the previous two deadlines, but neither was the bat that would put this lineup over the top.

The Target Bats

The Phillies’ front office dreams of Mike Trout getting moved and, slightly more realistically, Byron Buxton. Both players would be perfect cleanup hitters behind Harper. Trout’s massive contract and his commitment to Los Angeles make that a pipe dream, while Buxton has expressed his desire to remain in Minnesota.

The most reasonable target would be Orioles outfielder Taylor Ward. The 32-year-old has not had quite the year he was hoping for in his move to Baltimore. After blasting 36 homers and posting a .792 OPS in 2025 with the Angels, he’s struggled with that slugging ability with his new club. Ward has a .736 OPS in 2026, with just five homers.

Yet, his 117 wRC+ is identical to his mark from last year, thanks to his 16.7% walk rate. A point of emphasis following the Phillies’ previous two NLDS exits has been their chase rates in the postseason. Ward is in the 100th percentile in chase rate, according to Baseball Savant. If hitting coach Kevin Long can help him maintain his discipline and rediscover his power swing, he’d be a great pickup.

Another guy on the Phillies’ radar should be Astros first baseman Christian Walker. This is a move that would require some creativity from the club. Harper has stated on numerous occasions that he’d make the move back to the outfield to make way for an elite right-handed bat – even if the team seems to prefer him at first base.

Walker has a 116 wRC+ and a .782 OPS this season for Houston. He’s smacked 20 homers already and would bring legit power behind Harper, something the Phillies have struggled to provide in Harper’s tenure. Walker’s peripherals are a slight concern. He hovers around league average in xSLG, average exit velocity, and hard-hit percentage.

Despite some bad signs on that front, the Phillies will certainly still take a look at this option. The biggest problem this option faces now is the Astros’ postseason push. They had an abysmal start to 2026, but have turned their season around. They aren’t far out of a Wild Card spot or first place in the AL West. If Houston decides to sell, Walker will certainly receive interest from the Phillies.

It’s no secret the Phillies love their platoon hitters, and Jo Adell is the next target who would fit that description. Philadelphia has had a clear struggle against left-handed pitching. The club ranks 26th in baseball, with a .671 OPS against southpaws.

Adell has not been good as an everyday player this season, but on an Angels team 20 games below .500, it’s expected that he’d be out there every day. For the Phillies, he could be a valuable weapon against lefties. Adell has just a .681 OPS this season, but it’s his performance against lefties that makes him an intriguing option for Philadelphia.

The Los Angeles outfielder has hit .311 with an .911 OPS when facing left-handed arms. Last season, Adell was a much more viable everyday option. He tallied 37 homers and posted a .778 OPS. While the Phillies would love to add that overall production, they may be happy just to bring in a lefty specialist to help solve their problems in that area.

The Phillies’ pursuit of Adell will have a lot to do with their other moves. If they opt to trade for pitching, they may look for a cheaper bat, and Adell fits the bill.

Starting Pitching

When the Phillies entered the 2026 campaign, they expected to be a team built around their starting pitching. They came in with the expectation of having two Cy Young-caliber pitchers in Cristopher Sánchez and Zack Wheeler, as well as newly extended Jesús Luzardo, who’s an analytics darling, Aaron Nola, and Andrew Painter/Taijuan Walker. Walker was a placeholder in the rotation before Wheeler’s return from injury.

The rotation has not delivered. Sánchez and Wheeler have provided the output the club expected. Luzardo has stabilized after a rocky start. The problem for the club is the back end. The Phillies were hopeful Nola’s horrible 2025 season was just an outlier, but he’s been just as bad. Walker had a 9.13 ERA before his release. Painter was clearly not ready, posting a 7.06 ERA before being sent down to the minors.

The club can feel comfortable with their top three guys. The back two spots have provided the Phillies with a lot of trouble. Alan Rangel has stepped into Painter’s turn and been solid, but that feels like a temporary fix. Nola is still in the early years of a huge contract, so he’s going nowhere.

The Phillies’ hand might get forced. If Rangel can continue to deliver respectable innings, they may try to patch the problem from within the organization. The club, though, hasn’t even confirmed his spot in the rotation. Instead, he’s been more of a spot starter. Philadelphia is hopeful Painter can come through in his starts at Lehigh Valley and earn another big league look.

It’s no secret Dave Dombrowski has prioritized pitching in general as the focal point of this club. Prior to Wheeler’s injury in 2025, the rotation featured two Cy Young candidates, along with Luzardo and Ranger Suárez, who were both elite.

The Target Starters

Many Phillies fans would roll their eyes at the thought of emptying the farm system for Tarik Skubal, but Dombrowski’s track record shows it might be a possibility. Buster Olney spoke of the Phillies’ potential interest in the back-to-back Cy Young winner on the Just Baseball Show.

It would be tough for the Phillies to get a deal done with Detroit for one of baseball’s best, but it’s a swing that can’t be ruled out for Dombrowski. The Phillies would have one of the best starting pitching trios of all time if they acquired the ace. Skubal, Sánchez, and Wheeler would be a gauntlet in a postseason series, and Luzardo the cherry on top as a No. 4 starter.

This would be a massive splash. Skubal has had a slower start that included an injury that sidelined him for over a month. The Tigers would be wise to deal him. Skubal’s impending free agency might be too much for Detroit, as he could command around $400 million.

It is hard to imagine the Phillies unloading the farm for a superstar that may just walk in the winter, but they will certainly check in. Philadelphia adding Skubal to a rotation featuring Sánchez and Luzardo would provide premium left-handed pitching, which would go a long way to topping the Dodgers in October.

Another name the Phillies might check on is Giants southpaw Robbie Ray. Ray is in the last year of his deal and would be a cheaper way to add another effective left-handed arm to deploy against Los Angeles.

Ray has had a good year for San Francisco. He sports a 3.38 ERA while being in the 82nd percentile in pitching run value, according to Baseball Savant. However, there are some legitimate reasons to be concerned about Ray’s surface numbers.

The 34-year-old has a 4.71 FIP and a 4.63 xERA. When it comes to every pitching metric on Baseball Savant, he only ranks above the 50th percentile in xBA and hard-hit percentage, and only slightly. The underlying numbers on Ray make him a scary investment.

Still, if the Phillies are keen on adding another left-handed starter, Ray would be a far cheaper option that would certainly help increase their chances of besting the Dodgers.

Another starter the Phillies will likely be interested in is Twins ace Joe Ryan. Ryan, 30, has been elite for Minnesota. He sits at a 2.85 ERA, 10.5 strikeouts per nine, and a 2.82 FIP, good for a 3.1 fWAR.

Ryan differs from the previous two targets in the fact that he’s a righty. Aside from Wheeler, the Phillies don’t have any reliable right-handed starters. While lefties are valuable because of the lineup the Dodgers have, the Phillies would still greatly benefit from slotting Ryan into the No. 3 spot in their rotation.

Ryan has a mutual option for the 2027 season at $13 million. He’ll likely be seeking an extension, and as he’s shown a lot of improvement over the last three seasons, it’ll be a favorable payday for the Twins star.

Bullpen Help

The Phillies came into 2025 with a lot of question marks in the bullpen. They prioritized solidifying it when they made the splash for Duran at last season’s deadline. This season, they moved off Matt Strahm for Jonathan Bowlan. They added Brad Keller as the setup man and brought back José Alvarado.

The club thought the bullpen would be one of the strongest points of the team. They viewed Orion Kerkering and Keller as possible eighth-inning guys, with Duran as the lockdown man for the ninth. They felt good about Tanner Banks and Alvarado as higher-leverage left-handed options. Ultimately, they thought the pen would include five strong, reliable options.

The best word to describe the pen’s output would be shaky. Outside of Kerkering and Duran, there has been a lot of inconsistency. Banks’ struggles earned him an option to Triple-A, and Alvarado has a 7.03 ERA, leaving the team’s left-handed options limited. Tim Mayza has been solid, but not much of a high-leverage guy. Brad Keller’s ERA has nearly doubled from last year, rising from 2.07 to 4.02.

Ultimately, the club still has confidence in Keller and Kerkering as options in the eighth inning. Bowlan and Mayza have been very solid lower-leverage relievers. The bullpen looks solid, but could greatly benefit from a high-leverage left-handed reliever.

The Target Relievers

There’s one specific splash the Phillies could make to give them one of the top bullpens in baseball. Red Sox flamethrower Aroldis Chapman. Even at 38, Chapman remains one of the most dominant closers in the game.

Boston expected to contend this season, but injuries and underperformance have them needing to leap several teams to be playing baseball in October. Though they are 8-2 in their last 10, it remains likely that Chapman could be moved.

Even with a slight slip in velocity and performance, Chapman would be a great addition to a team desperate for a dominant left-handed bullpen arm. The Red Sox closer has a 2.28 ERA while fanning 11.4 hitters per nine.

Chapman would likely have a high price tag, and it’s hard to imagine the Phillies investing too many assets in a high-leverage bullpen arm for the third year in a row, but he’ll still likely draw a lot of interest from Philadelphia.

The next option for the Phillies would mean trading with a bitter rival. The target is A.J. Minter of the New York Mets. The 32-year-old reliever has struggled with injuries for a few seasons, but he is a very effective left-handed bullpen piece when he is healthy.

Minter has only thrown 17 innings this season, but has been elite in them. He’s posted a 1.50 ERA and a 0.83 WHIP in his 18 appearances thus far. He’s thrown just 29 innings in his last two seasons in New York, which could be beneficial for the Phillies in negotiations.

Even with the small sample size, it’s safe to say Minter would be the Phillies’ best left-handed option out of the pen, and they could use him in high-leverage moments instantly. Minter was a key piece out of the Braves’ bullpen in Atlanta’s 2021 run to a World Series.

The club could also benefit from acquiring Brooks Raley, another great left-handed reliever for New York. Raley has a 2.16 ERA in 33.1 innings of work for the Mets. Philadelphia should certainly look into acquiring one or both of the Mets southpaws before August 3.

Adrian Morejon is another name that could garner a ton of interest from the Phillies. Of course, his movement is contingent upon the Padres’ decision to sell or buy at the deadline. Though A.J. Preller is known to be one of the most aggressive execs in baseball, Morejon’s expiring deal could push him to move the lefty if the team continues to slip prior to the deadline.

Morejon is coming off a career year, in which his 2.08 ERA earned him his first career All-Star nod. He’s struggled to find the same dominance this year on the surface. His 3.45 ERA is a big step back, but he still has a 2.52 xERA and 2.38 FIP.

Morejon is making just $3.9 million this season, which makes him even more valuable for a team like the Phillies with such a high payroll. The Padres would be wise to move him if their position in the postseason race worsens. San Diego sits 13.5 games behind Los Angeles in the division and 4.5 games behind the final Wild Card team.

The Padres have been trending in the wrong direction for a few months. If they decide to deal Morejon, expect the Phillies to be one of the most aggressive suitors.

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The Verdict

The Phillies are in a very strange position. They’re not in the top 10 in team OPS or ERA. Yet, the team has turned around their season from their abysmal first 30 games. It’s hard to identify a strong suit of the Phillies without caveats. The lineup has been okay, but heavily carried by three guys. The rotation has been decent, but heavily carried by three guys. The bullpen has been solid, but heavily carried by two guys.

The simple answer would be to go all out and acquire all the aforementioned needs. Unfortunately for the Phillies, they’re not really in a position to do that. Even with a championship window that many view as closing, their farm system dictates what they’re able to do at the deadline. With just two of Just Baseball’s Top 100 Prospects, it’s hard to envision them acquiring three impact players.

There are many options for the Phillies. They can make a splash for a starter and trade for a platoon bat like Adell. They can acquire a starter and reliever, and live and die with their current lineup. With the price of starting pitching in MLB and their lack of a farm system, it makes overhauling the roster very difficult.

The first thing the Phillies should do is call the Minnesota Twins. It’s a long shot, but if they can work out a massive package to acquire Buxton and Ryan, they’d instantly catapult themselves into serious World Series contention.

Ultimately, the Phillies are at the mercy of Buxton’s no-trade clause and the Twins front office, who may think they can compete for a playoff spot.

The most realistic option for the Phillies is to strike a deal with Baltimore for Ward. At the very least, Ward would provide the Phillies with someone who doesn’t chase. A clear need for this team based on previous postseason failures. In doing that deal, the Phillies are also banking on him to return to being a guy that could hit for a 30+ homer pace.

Ward having a down year, combined with the fact he’s a pending free agent, will make him more affordable for a Phillies team strapped for prospects.

The other move the Phillies should make is acquiring Ryan, with Ray as their fallback option. While a swing for Skubal would be elite for Philadelphia, they simply can’t spare the prospects for a high-priced rental. Ryan is relatively young and has only been trending upwards; he’d be an elite No. 3 in the Phillies rotation.

Minnesota is likely to sell. If they don’t, Robbie Ray isn’t a terrible fallback option. The underlying numbers aren’t very convincing, but he’d make a fine No. 4 starter. The team just cannot proceed with Nola and Rangel taking the ball two of every five games. Now, in the event that Rangel looks good for another month, Philadelphia may be better suited targeting a reliever.

Of course, the Phillies wish they could add Skubal, Ward, and Chapman, but financial and prospect capital restrict that. Bottom line, the Phillies need to prioritize adding a right-handed hitter who can play first base or outfield, as well as an improvement to their No. 4 starter. With still under a month until the deadline, the market could change drastically.