Fansided

Grading every team’s World Series chances after the trade deadline

By Brad Weiss

PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 24: Manny Machado #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday July 24, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 24: Manny Machado #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers looks on before the game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on Tuesday July 24, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rob Tringali/SportsChrome/Getty Images) /
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ST. LOUIS, MO – MAY 18: Odubel Herrera #37 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a two-RBI double single against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium on May 18, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
ST. LOUIS, MO – MAY 18: Odubel Herrera #37 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a two-RBI double single against the St. Louis Cardinals in the fifth inning at Busch Stadium on May 18, 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) /

Philadelphia Phillies

Another big surprise coming out of the NL East this season has been the Philadelphia Phillies, who have shaken off a slow start to be the first place team in the division heading into the trade deadline. The fans in Philly wanted first-year manager Gabe Kapler’s head when he made some mistakes early in April, but he has become quite the leader for the team this summer.

The Phillies entered the traded deadline only 0.5 games in front of the Atlanta Braves, who have come out of nowhere to be a contender this season. In order to stay in first place, the Phillies had to make some moves to improve the roster, and they certainly did just that in July.

Philadelphia traded with the Toronto Blue Jays for Aaron Loup, giving them a solid left-handed arm to add to their bullpen. In addition, the Phillies went inside the NL East division to make a trade with the New York Mets, getting second baseman Asdrubal Cabrera from their rival.

Cabrera is a solid bat for this lineup, as despite the Mets woes, continued to put  up good numbers offensively for the team. Philadelphia has the pieces in place to stay in this thing all summer long, but it will be interesting to see if these young players can keep this up for a full 162-game season.

During Spring Training, the Phillies added Jake Arrieta, and he has been a blessing for this young pitching staff. The Phillies have power up and down their lineup, and in a playoff series, they are going to be tough to beat this Fall.

Grade: B

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