The Philadelphia Phillies advanced to 16-13 on the season with a thrilling walk-off victory over the Washington Nationals on Tuesday evening.
On the surface, second place in the NL East is a good spot to be in — especially given Philadelphia's track record of elevating its performance after the All-Star break. And yet, many of the issues that have plagued this team in recent years persist, and it's difficult to call the Phillies a contender with any amount of confidence.
Is this a playoff team? Of course. Can the Phillies even win a series or two? Absolutely. But, when push comes to shove, it feels like Philadelphia has a few too many weaknesses relative to other top-shelf National League contenders. The Mets are dominant on both ends. The Padres look utterly electric. The Dodgers are the Dodgers. The Phillies ... are vulnerable.
That brings us to Brandon Marsh, quite possibly the most glaring example of Philadelphia's roster deficiencies so far this season. The 27-year-old was an important cog in the Phillies' lineup a year ago, but he looks utterly lost at the plate right now — and it could leave him vulnerable to trade talks.
Dave Dombrowski has to find ways to improve the back half of the lineup and reinvigorate a struggling bullpen. Marsh feels like a logical bargaining chip once the deadline rolls around.
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Brandon Marsh's struggles could book him a one-way ticket out the door at Phillies trade deadline
Marsh has been rehabbing a hamstring strain with Triple-A Lehigh Valley of late. He was removed from his fourth rehab start on Sunday due to a cramp, but it does not seem to be a serious issue. He should be back with the MLB roster soon enough.
That said, Marsh's production with the big-league squad has been abysmal. He's slashing .095/.220/.167 with a single home run, five RBI and 16 strikeouts across 42 at-bats. He has seen 11 at-bats with Lehigh Valley, striking out six times. The swing just is not where it needs to be.
Marsh has always been a platoon option at heart, mashing righties and struggling against lefties, but it has been a two-way street of misery in 2025. He's bound to turn things around eventually, but to what extent remains to be seen. And, to be frank, the Phillies need more than a mediocre platoon option in centerfield. Johan Rojas is not the answer either.
With two years of arbitration left on his contract and a mostly solid track record of production, Marsh should have some trade value. The Phillies aren't going to cash in for a top prospect, but cheap teams lacking in outfield depth, such as Kansas City, Minnesota or Pittsburgh, could look to the Phillies' most bearded man (and his $3 million salary) as a quick fix.
If the Phillies can parlay Marsh and other assets into an everyday outfielder (or use him to bolster a wayward bullpen), that feels like the move. We all love Marsh's persona: The hair situation is great, and I won't hear otherwise. But with the Phillies' World Series window shutting fast, Rob Thomson cannot sit around and wait for Marsh to figure things out. It's time for Dombrowski and the front office to act accordingly.