1. Anthony Rendon
If the Phillies want to break baseball they’ll trade for Anthony Rendon. A lineup with Bryce Harper, JT Realmuto, Rhys Hoskins and Rendon would be formidable for any opponent. Rendon has been one of the best third basemen in baseball over the last few years and is topping that performance this year.
He has a career-best .451 wOBA and .440 OBP, numbers that have not fallen off without the presence of Harper in the Nationals lineup. Rendon is in the midst of the best season of his career and if the Phillies want to seriously make a run in the playoffs, they will look to acquire the biggest star available at this year’s trade deadline, the same way the Dodgers traded for Manny Machado last year, a moved that helped them reach the World Series.
If the Phillies can get the Nationals to be agreeable with trading Rendon to a division rival, especially the division rival that just stole Harper, it would be the best thing for them as a franchise as well as an absolute coup. Adding a player with a 1.111 OPS is a win-now, championship-caliber move.
Signing Harper this offseason was a sign that the Phillies are ready to win. Now, it’s time for them to prove it and pursue Rendon. They must do what the Nationals never did and build an elite roster around Harper to make a deep postseason run. That roster will be complete with the addition of Rendon.