Phillies checking out the “FOR SALE” signs around MLB!
The Phillies will play their 100th game tonight and they sit at (53-46) which leaves them currently just a half-game out of the final post-season spot and only one game out of the top wildcard spot. I’ve heard people wonder aloud whether the Phillies should be aggressive at the trade deadline which comes up on the afternoon of Tuesday, August 1st. That answer should be obvious to all of us. Dave Dombrowski needs to be Cousin Eddie at the Dive Casinos in old town Vegas! When you are the defending NL Champions and you added Trea Turner and Taijuan Walker puttering along in the wildcard muck isn’t good enough. What do they need to get over the hump? That is where the debate begins!
STARTING PITCHING?
Turn back the clock to last Fall. How did the Astros defeat the Phillies in the World Series? They dominated the Phillies lineup with starting pitching. Throughout the NL playoffs, the offense was able to carry the day. Then the Astros starting pitching depth shut them down and they ran out of gas. Do you add another mid-level starter? Do you let Aaron Nola potentially walk this off-season and get nothing in return? Could you flip him and take your chances with another option?
My choice? Find a mid-level starter and secure that 5th starter position.
BULLPEN ARMS!
Remember during the pandemic and people were hoarding toilet paper and Lysol wipes? Well at the trade deadline, everyone is scrambling for extra options so you can mix and match in those critical post-season chess matches. We have already seen that Rob Thomson isn’t conventional in when and where he decides to deploy any of these weapons in a close October game. It is going to be risky to count on Seranthony Dominguez or Jose Alvarado considering their iffy health as we head into August. Relievers are able to be purchased with prospects do they don’t affect the big-league roster. David Robertson has pitched well for the Mets. Go get him. He can close games too.
My advice? You don’t need one, you need two! I’m confident that Dave Dombrowski doesn’t need me to tell him this!
RIGHT-HANDED POWER BAT
Who that “power bat” is gets very confusing considering so many teams sit in the mix to grab a wildcard spot in both the National and American leagues. There are players like Cody Bellinger who are having impressive bounce-back seasons, but he will not come cheap and I don’t understand why the Cubs would want to move him anyway. I don’t see a lot of options in the right-handed power-hitting aisle. Of course, that means that the market will probably be flipped upside down with players we never expected to exit their current teams.
My thoughts? Get out your dart board and wear a blindfold!
HARPER AT FIRST BASE
What a debut weekend he had in his first few games playing first base. Watching him this weekend it shows you just how bad Rhys Hoskins was for all this time in the field. The question will be if Harper is going to just be your first baseman after 2023. If he is does that affect your ability to add talent at the deadline? This roster is in serious flux!
DD is officially on the clock! I’ve grown to trust his judgment. I think you should too!
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9 Bullpen Options For The Phillies At The Trade Deadline
Scott Barlow- RHP, Royals
Like several of the Phillies bullpen guys, a slow start has his ERA a bit inflated. But since May he has been pretty deadly. Barlow has shut teams out in 18 of his 23 outings since May 1st. And his ERA was under 3 in each of the past two seasons. He is arbitration eligible for one more season and then will be a free agent in 2025. The Royals are way out of contention. So it could make sense to move their closer at the deadline.
He obviously would not be closing here, or even be in the setup role. But he would be a solid addition as a middle-inning guy. And then would have him for at least one more season.
(Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images)
Joe Kelly- RHP- White Sox
Outside of Aroldis Chapman, who has already been traded, Joe Kelly has been one of the most popular bullpen pieces in trade conversations. The 4.82 ERA would scare some people away, but it is misleading. He struggled in April, but pitched well in May and June. And the stuff is there. His fastball still hits 99, and his curveball is up there in terms of spin rate.
He did go onto the IL in June. But he should be off of it soon. And once he is, should be a prime candidate to be traded. The White Sox are way out of the playoff race. Kelly has one club option left after this season and is due 9.5 million next year if it is picked up.
(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Brad Hand- LHP- Rockies
Speaking of reunions, Brad Hand is also available. He is not quite as enticing of a reunion though. He did not perform that well in the playoffs last season. He had his moments, and his regular season stats were impressive, but in the playoffs, it was often an adventure with him on the mound.
Still, he is having a solid season even pitching in the hitter-friendly confines of Coors Field. His ERA was 3.62 before a recent awful outing blew it up. And he will likely be cheap. If the Phillies blow most of their trade assets bringing in another star hitter and want to go cheap with bullpen help, there are worse options. But there are also many better options.
(Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
