Do the Phillies Need More Pitching To Win It All This Year?

On Friday, the Philadelphia Phillies sent long-tenured reliever Seranthony Domínguez and glove-first outfielder Cristian Pache to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for Austin Hays.

The 29-year-old Hays is a proven, reliable right-handed hitting corner outfielder. In other words, he fills one of the team’s biggest needs.

While his overall numbers aren’t particularly impressive this season (103 wRC+), his stats against left-handed pitching are excellent. He has a 154 wRC+ against southpaws this season and a 126 wRC+ against lefties over the past four years.

Hays will be a huge offensive upgrade over Pache as a righty-batting fourth outfielder to spell Brandon Marsh against left-handed pitching. Marsh has a 136 wRC+ against righties this season but a 7 wRC+ in 57 PA against lefties.

After adding Hays, the Phillies are most likely finished making upgrades to their lineup ahead of the trade deadline. (A Luis Robert Jr. trade still seems far-fetched.)

The question now becomes: Will they make any major additions to their league-best pitching staff?

The Phillies rank second in MLB and first in the NL with a 3.47 ERA. They lead MLB in FIP, xFIP, SIERA, and FanGraphs WAR.

Their starters rank first in MLB in fWAR, while their relievers rank second, trailing only the Guardians.

Simply put, the Phillies don’t need to make any additions in order to have a postseason-caliber pitching staff.

However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any more trades Dave Dombrowski should pursue.

Article updated July 27 at 8:30 AM ET. Stats updated prior to games on July 26.

Phillies Need: Rotation Depth

Rumors

• Jon Morosi of MLB Network linked the Phillies to White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet and Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty.

The Phillies will have a fearsome rotation come playoff time, featuring Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, Ranger Suárez, and Cristopher Sánchez. The fact that Nola – quickly becoming one of the greatest pitchers in Phillies history – is the only one of those four who wasn’t an All-Star this year tells you everything you need to know.

That said, the team could probably use a little extra depth. Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull are on the IL. Walker could come back sometime in August, but he struggled badly in 10 starts before he hurt himself (5.60 ERA, 6.30 xERA).

Turnbull, on the other hand, was terrific before his injury (2.65 ERA, 3.94 xERA). Yet, he seems more likely to join the bullpen once he returns.

Meanwhile, Michael Mercado pitched poorly in two starts before his demotion, and Kolby Allard has pitched poorly at Triple-A. Tyler Phillips has been solid in three games, but he is unproven and inexperienced.

In case the Phillies suffer an injury to one of their top four starters, it might be wise to have another depth arm with a little bit more of an MLB track record. Reid Detmers, who has been surprisingly popular in trade rumors this summer, is one possibility.

Alternatively, if Dombrowski decides now is the time to make a huge splash in pursuit of a World Series title, he could target another top-of-the-rotation arm. This possibility seems highly unlikely, but the Phillies have reportedly shown interest in Garrett Crochet and Jack Flaherty.

Adding Crochet or Flaherty would give this team, arguably, one of the deepest starting rotations ever assembled for a postseason run. A move like this would seriously increase Philadelphia’s chances of finishing with the best record in baseball and securing home field advantage through the World Series.

Moreover, with five pitchers capable of starting in the postseason, the Phillies could give their staff extra rest throughout October. That could prove to be a sneakily significant advantage.

Alternatively, the Phillies would have the flexibility to leave Crochet off the postseason roster if the two sides can’t agree on an extension before October.

Phillies Need: Right-Handed Reliever

Rumors

• The Phillies have been linked to Angels right-hander Carlos Estévez (per Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer)
• The Phillies have been linked to Nationals right-hander Kyle Finnegan (per Matt Gelb of The Athletic)
• The Phillies have been linked to Marlins left-hander Tanner Scott (per Bob Nightengale of USA Today)

The Phillies bullpen has been dominant this season, led by All-Stars Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm.

Still, they have room for an upgrade. After shipping Domínguez off to Baltimore, the Phillies only have five locks in their MLB bullpen: Hoffman, Strahm, José Alvarado, Gregory Soto, and Orion Kerkering.

Three of those five are lefties, so manager Rob Thomson could use another righty to call on in tough spots. Turnbull could be that guy when he returns, but the Phillies will be in a much better position if they aren’t relying too heavily on an injured arm.

Rumors have linked Philadelphia to name-brand closers Carlos Estévez and Kyle Finnegan, as well as lefty Tanner Scott. Even though this team has no shortage of back-end studs, it would make sense for Dombrowski to target another closer. This team has World Series aspirations, after all.

That said, the Phillies certainly don’t need to overpay to land an arm like Estévez or Finnegan. They definitely don’t need to overpay for Scott. Indeed, they might find a better fit one tier down. Names like Yimi García Chad Green of the Blue Jays and Dylan Floro of the Nationals are a couple to consider.

Updated July 27 at 8:30 AM ET: Jon Morosi of MLB Network reports that the Phillies are “expected” to add “at least one leverage reliever by Tuesday’s deadline.”

Morosi identifies Green as one of their “top targets.” The Blue Jays right-hander has a 1.74 ERA and 3.92 xERA in 31.0 IP this year.