When Buster Olney says anything Baseball related, it is worth listening to what he says. And luckily for Phillies fans, he has a lot of good things to say about the Phillies right now. He went on ESPN the other day with Philly’s own Kevin Negandhi and

“It makes me sick that I have to do this with you… but I’m going to say the Phillies!” …The great @Buster_ESPN joined me on SportsCenter to discuss the 2nd half of the baseball season and explain why Philly is a big threat. pic.twitter.com/3D0gmgxxVb

— Kevin Negandhi (@KevinNegandhi) July 13, 2023?s=20" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> sung their praises. Olney believes the Phillies are the team with the best chances to compete with the Braves. Especially considering we have not even seen Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, or Kyle Schwabrer play their best ball yet.

But he also alluded that they could be dangerous players at the deadline. And to get some insight into what he meant by that, The Anthony Gargano Show had him on today. Jamie Lynch and Andrew Salciunas filled in for Anthony and asked Buster Olney to expand on his thoughts about why he is so high on the Phillies, and also what he thought they would do at the deadline.

So will the Phillies be in on big names like Juan Soto, Nolan Arenado, Paul Goldschmidt, or Shohei Ohtani? Is that just wishful thinking? Is there a more realistic option he can see them making? Buster Olney got into that and more.

Here is what Buster Olney had to say:

 

 

• A Realistic Option Would be Cody Bellinger

  Before they asked Buster Olney about the big names, they had to touch on a realistic option first. And the first name that came to mind for him, was Cody Bellinger.

  “I am curious about Cody Bellinger and where he lands. A former MVP. Someone who has had an impact in the past. He seemed to have lost his swing, but he has put it back together. He adjusted his swing and is hitting the ball like crazy of late.

  I do think the Cubs will trade at some point. Marcus Stroman and Cody Bellinger. I will say the Phillies will have competition for Bellinger. There will be a number of teams involved in that conversation. The Yankees are looking for an outfielder. Other clubs as well.

  And some of that will depend on what happens with Ohtani. Will the Angels put him out there? And how would that impact what the Cubs do? But he does make some sense. And that swing and miss Bellinger that we have seen in the past, that hasn’t been what he has been with the Cubs.”

  Belli 💣
  
  Cody Bellinger is a triple away from the cycle!
  
  (via @Cubs)pic.twitter.com/Mv9iTxMfbi

  — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 6, 2023

• Would They Actually Be in on Shohei Ohtani?

  Olney mentioned Ohtani, so they had to ask. Will the Phillies be in on Ohtani? Dan Plesac reported that they may be in the mix on MLB Network, so they wanted to see what Buster thought.

  “First off, he is not available as of this moment. Two, the Angels owner has to make the decision to trade him. And that is a lot more of a difficult decision than people realize. Then you have to outbid teams like the Rangers and Yankees.

  But if Ohtani is put in the market, one of those teams will step up and say the heck with it and go for it. We are going to add a guy who will not only be able to start a game 1 or 2 for you in the postseason but also hit 2 or 3 in your lineup.

  It is fun to think about the Phillies with Ohtani. My question would be, with the presence of Schwarber, and Harper and his elbow issues, it is a little bit more complicated. Because you already have a couple of guys who are best suited for DH.”

  OHTANI HOME RUN 🦄
  
  His MLB leading 32nd homer of the season.
  
  🎥: @BallySportWest pic.twitter.com/MXsqvLllQ8

  — The Sporting News (@sportingnews) July 9, 2023

• Are Nolan Arenado or Paul Goldschmidt Available?

  The other hot names are Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt. The Cardinals are bad for the first time in a long time. Leading to a ton of rumors that one of their superstars could be moved. But is there any smoke to that fire? Buster Olney poured a little bit of cold water on Phillies fans’ dreams on landing one of those big bats.

  “I’d be shocked if the shocked if the Cardinals move Arenado if they move Goldschmidt. Their front office moves very carefully… While I think there will be trades of guys like Jack Flaherty, I don’t necessarily think you will see them go the whole hog and turn the team over.”

  Nolan Arenado breaks the scoreless tie with a solo shot 💪
  
  📺: FS1 pic.twitter.com/nTFf1F7jqd

  — FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) July 7, 2023

• What About Juan Soto?

  The last name they asked about was Juan Soto. He took a flight back to Philadelphia for this weekend’s Phillies-Padres series with the Phillies’ other All-Stars. His name has also been floated for the Phillies. Buster Olney did question whether he is actually on the market though.

  “Unless there is a dramatic change with San Diego… I don’t see them putting Soto out there. It makes sense to me that they could. We haven’t seen anything that indicates they are close to an extension with Soto, who is a free agent after the 2024 season. If you are going to get the most value in return, now is the time to do it.

  But the one thing that has been pointed out to me by executives of other teams is that the Padres will probably look at the offers from other teams for Soto and hold their nose. Wait a second, we are going to get 40% back on the dollar for what we gave up last year?

  The perception in the industry is they really overpaid to get him last year. That will be a hard sell for the Padres owner. And there is enough talent there that it wouldn’t surprise me to see them try to play it out as long as they can because they are so committed after what they spent this year.”

  

  Juan Soto #22 of the San Diego Padres reacts during the 93rd MLB All-Star Game presented by Mastercard at T-Mobile Park on July 11, 2023 in Seattle, Washington.

• You can listen to their full conversation with Buster Olney below

  They also talked to him about how the Phillies match up with the Braves, the future of Aaron Nola, and more. You can listen to everything Buster Olney had to say below: