Phillies and Marlins could fight over the same trade deadline candidate

Here’s a sentence that baseball fans probably haven’t heard too often over the last 30 years: The Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies are both poised to be trade deadline buyers.  

Kyle Schwarber and the Phillies have completely turned their season around following the late-April firing of Rob Thomson. Meanwhile, the Marlins are hovering around .500, partly thanks to the duo of starter Otto Lopez and second baseman Xavier Edwards. 

For their many differences, the Phillies and Marlins have two trade deadline commonalities: upgrading in right field and in the rotation. 

The Braves are well on track to win the NL East again, which leaves the Phillies and Marlins to fight for two of the NL’s three Wild Card spots. Philadelphia entered Monday holding the NL’s second Wild Card, and the Marlins are 2.0 games out. 

For this list, we’ve tried to identify realistic outfield and starting pitcher fits for both teams. So, no, you’re not going to see Juan Soto suit up for the Marlins in a meaningful August game. 

Which outfielders should the Phillies and Marlins try trading for?

Jo Adell, Angels

Unless the Angels publicly say they’re not trading Adell, I expect to continue including him on these lists. Although his OPS is down, he’s increased his walk rate, and he’s still under team control through 2028. Plus, there just aren't many righty options out there.

Matt Wallner, Twins

This would be incredibly risky, seeing as Wallner is currently at Triple-A after recording -1.3 bWAR in 34 games. However, the big lefty has several years left of team control, he should come cheap and he’s flashed serious power before. There are far worse buy-low options than giving Wallner a chance.

Tyler O’Neill, Orioles

The Orioles are mediocre enough that, barring a sudden surge up the standings, there’d be no reason to justify keeping O’Neill … except that they’d likely need to eat a significant amount of money to even find a taker for the remainder of his three-year, $49.5 million deal. That’s the only way either the Marlins or the Phillies could justify acquiring him. 

Starting pitchers the Phillies and Marlins must pursue a trade for

Joe Ryan, Twins

The 30-year-old Ryan has been his usual steady self for the Twins, and we expect to keep hearing his name floated in trade talks. We’re especially impressed by his diminished walk rate, which he’s dropped from 5.7 percent to 4.8 percent. 

Landon Roupp, Giants

The Giants’ dreadful 2026 season could warrant a complete organizational reset. Roupp’s strikeout rate has skyrocketed, and he’s pitched far better than his 4.24 ERA may indicate. However, we must note that a Roupp trade may be divisive among some fans following the Giants’ Pride Night controversy. 

Michael Wacha, Royals

Wacha is under contract through next year and has a team option for 2028. However, he’s quietly averaged a 3.47 ERA since the start of 2022. If either team feels the financial hit is worth it, then Wacha is absolutely worth considering. 

Reid Detmers, Angels

Detmers turns 27 in July and is a lefty with several years of team control left. It’d be hard to fault the Angels if they wanted at least a top-20 prospect. Could either team convince the Angels to package Adell and Detmers together?

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