The Philadelphia Phillies’ season has been a roller coaster, to put it lightly. They entered with high expectations, struggled mightily out of the gate, fired manager Rob Thomson … and under new manager Don Mattingly have gotten back on track, now 38-33 and in second place in the National League East.
They remain eight games back of the Atlanta Braves, so there is plenty of work to be done. But Phillies executive Dave Dombrowski is among the most aggressive in baseball — and when there is an opportunity to add, especially sizable upgrades, he has never hesitated.
This deadline should be no different, and Philadelphia has made it clear that bolstering their outfield is a priority. Dombrowski has already added Derek Hill in a trade with the Chicago White Sox, and according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, they remain interested in adding. So who might be available?
Top Phillies targets ahead of the trade deadline
Two of the names that Nightengale listed include Jo Adell of the Los Angeles Angels and Seiya Suzuki of the Chicago Cubs.
Adell, 27, is a former top prospect who took time to get accustomed to the Majors. But he thrived last season, hitting .236/.293/.485 with 37 home runs and 98 RBI, and emerged as one of the Angels’ best players. He drew plenty of interest last deadline, but the Angels didn’t come close to moving him. He will draw tons of interest once again and would be a natural fit in Philly and a good right-handed option to replace Adolis Garcia, who is now on the 60-day Injured List.
Adell, too, is controllable – he’s signed until 2028 – so he’d be a multi-year option in Philadelphia. But it would hardly be a surprise if the Angels kept Adell and elected to move veteran rentals such as Jorge Soler and reliever Brent Suter instead.
Suzuki, meanwhile, is an enticing trade option. In five MLB seasons, he’s hitting .267/.345/.468 with an .814 OPS, 97 home runs and 324 RBI. His contract (five years, $85 million) is far greater than Adell’s, and he’s a free agent at the end of the regular season. He also has a full no-trade clause and loves being in Chicago, so it’s unclear if he’d be willing to facilitate a potential trade.
If neither of them are traded, and that’s entirely possible, then Philadelphia may have to get creative in addressing the outfield position. One option could be a reunion with Harrison Bader, a defense-first outfielder who was acquired by Philly last trade deadline. He acclimated himself very well, became a fan favorite and hit .305/.361/.463 with five home runs and 16 RBI. He’s currently on a San Francisco Giants team that is considering selling and a two-year, $20.5 million contract is very affordable — provided that he’s healthy (currently on the 10-day Injured List).
Dombrowski and general manager Preston Mattingly will surely examine far more options than just these three. At this point, it would be a shock if the Phillies didn’t add a righty outfielder, and they very well may add in other areas as well, including the rotation. It also wouldn’t be surprising whatsoever if we’re talking about the Phillies fighting with the Braves for the National League East come the end of the regular season.