The Philadelphia Phillies were dealt a pretty tough hand by having to play in the loaded National League East and the even more loaded NL. If you're not a dominant World Series contender, it's hard to imagine you making the postseason in the NL this season.
But the Phillies are one of the more talented teams in baseball this season. They have the pitching and prospect pitching to make a deep run into the postseason, but they could use some help in the bullpen.
Their lineup is loaded with talent from top to bottom, but just like last season, the team needs to add an outfielder. Last season, they didn't make a very aggressive move to fill the hole in the outfield and it came back to bite them down the stretch. This season, the Phillies are going to need to be quite a bit more aggressive to avoid a similar postseason collapse.
The perfect trade candidate is sitting right in front of them, too.
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A trade for Cedric Mullins is exactly what the Phillies need
Baltimore Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins is the perfect trade candidate for the Phillies to look into. First, let's look at Baltimore's point of view.
The Orioles have fallen out of contention already this season. Their pitching staff has handicapped them tremendously and the season is already seemingly over. Mullins' contract expires at the end of the season, so he's the perfect player to dangle as trade bait. The Orioles have a talented outfield and also boast three outfielders in their top five prospects. Replacing Mullins won't be too difficult.
For the Phillies, they need another impact bat. Mullins might not compete with Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper in terms of talent and power, but the Orioles outfielder has an OPS+ of 116, which marks the second best season of his career.
He's cooled off after a very fast start, but the Phillies likely wouldn't have to trade a King's Ransom to land him. Philadelphia could part ways with a few lower level prospects in order to land the veteran outfielder. Then, if he plays well, the Phillies could explore the idea of re-signing him in the offseason. Either way, this is the kind of trade that would boost the Phillies chances of stealing the NL East from the New York Mets.