3 doomsday trades that would ruin the Phillies deadline

The Philadelphia Phillies' trade deadlines plans, on the surface, are fairly simple. Dave Dombrowski already swung a trade for Baltimore Orioles leftfielder Austin Mays, who figures to operate in a platoon with Brandon Marsh. Philadelphia could use another outfield bat, while the top priority is strengthening the back end of the bullpen.

Jose Alvarado has been on a downward spiral of late. He should break out of it eventually, but poor late-inning pitching sunk the Phillies in the 2023 playoffs. There's no reason to risk a repeat of history when the roster is so plainly built to contend.

The last few weeks have been rocky at best for the Phils, who appear to be hitting a wall. Every red-hot, obviously elite team runs into hurdles eventually. With injuries taking root, the Phils' needs are clearer than ever. Ideally the front office operates aggressively with such a golden opportunity to contend set out before them. Philadelphia is still the best team in the National League. Other contenders, such as the Los Angeles Dodgers and Atlanta Braves, are going to improve in the days to come. Philadelphia cannot rest on its laurels.

That said, there's a fine line between aggression and catastrophic miscalculation. The wrong blockbuster trade can hamstring the Phillies short and long term, while potentially taking resources away from more pressing issues.

Here are the trades Dave Dombrowski and his staff should avoid, as tempting as the names may be.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, and join the discord to get the inside scoop as we near the July 30 MLB trade deadline.

3. Phillies should staunchly avoid Justin Turner

When Tim Britton and Aaron Gleeman formulated The Athletic's trade deadline big board, Justin Turner was a name connected to the Phillies. The Toronto Blue Jays' veteran utilityman is a natural trade candidate. He's 39 and on an expiring contract, while the Blue Jays have no plans to contend in a crowded AL East this season.

On the surface, it's a prime opportunity for the Phils to replace Whit Merrifield, who was waived after a disappointing first half of the season. Merrifield was supposed to be Philadelphia's depth chart cheat code — a versatile, multi-position weapon who made the All-Star team a season ago (with Toronto, no less). Unfortunately, Merrifield never meshed with the lineup or the locker room, and his production did not carry water for a team short on depth.

Turner has experience all over the infield and he's an established bat. He inked a contract with Toronto for $13 million. Not cheap, but without any strings attached beyond 2024, some team will justify the bet on talent and experience.

It should not be Philadelphia, though. This just seems like the sort of move destined for disappointment, even if Turner can be had for next to nothing. At 39, he's well past his prime and in the middle of his worst season to date, slashing .244/.340/.361 with six home runs and 31 RBI in 291 AB.

He's not awful by any stretch (0.1 WAR), but the idea of Turner is better than the reality at this point. He's operating almost exclusively as a DH for the Blue Jays, with a stray appearance at first base in place of Vladimir Guerrero. He's not well suited to real reps at third or second base anymore, so the "utilityman" label is moot. He's a Kyle Schwarber backup and an emergency depth piece on a $13 million contract.

The postseason experience is alluring and he's great for any locker room, but the Phils just don't have much need for Turner. There are better ways to spend time and effort ahead of Tuesday's deadline.

2. Phillies should steer clear of Jack Flaherty rental

MLB insider Jon Morosi recently mentioned Detroit Tigers hurler Jack Flaherty as a player of interest for Philadelphia ahead of the deadline. The rumor shocked fans, as there's virtually no place for another starter in the rotation. If Philadelphia acquires Flaherty, obviously he would be in line for starts. The necessity, however, is slim to none.

The Phillies had three starting pitchers named to the All-Star Game in Zack Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, and Cristopher Sanchez. The former is arguably the frontrunner for NL Cy Young right now. Aaron Nola was on the All-Star bubble, and he just inked a massive extension in the offseason. In the No. 5 spot, Philadelphia traditionally has Taijuan Walker, who is under contract through 2026 at $18 million annually.

That Walker contract is rough, the rare blemish on Dombrowski's stellar resumé. But all the same, Walker is under contract and Rob Thomson has shown little desire to remove Walker from the core five-man rotation. Even if Topper were to plant Walker in the bullpen, 26-year-old Tyler Phillps has looked rock-solid in his sparse MLB starts this season, while veteran Spencer Turnbull has also excelled as a starter when called upon.

In short, it's hard to figure out why Flaherty, signed to a one-year deal by Detroit, would make any remote sense for Philadelphia. There's a good chance he would leave in a few months, as Philadelphia is unlikely to saddle Flaherty with his desired contract while still paying out long-term deals for Wheeler, Nola, and Walker. In fact, Suarez — arbitration eligible through next season — is the only Phillies starter not signed to a long-term deal, and that feels like only a matter of time.

Flaherty has been stellar for the Tigers this season, but he's pitching in a relatively low-stakes environment. When traded from the lowly St. Louis Cardinals to the first-place Orioles last season, Flaherty fell apart down the stretch and bombed in the playoffs. Philadelphia is only looking ahead to October, so even if Dombrowski desires another starting pitcher, odds are Flaherty is not the best move.

1. Phillies should not sell the farm for Garrett Crochet

Included in the aforementioned Flaherty report was an even more unbelievable name. Jon Morosi connected the Phillies to Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet, the hard-throwing lefty who recently made waves with his decision to essentially hold out of the playoffs without a contract extension.

Previously billed as a 25-year-old All-Star with multiple years of affordable team control over his contract, Crochet is now asking for a new deal from prospective buyers. It's an understandable, if unprecedented demand, as Crochet has already doubled his career-high for innings pitched this season (111.1). He wants to remain in the starting rotation through season's end and does not want to pitch out of the bullpen for a contender.

So, that complicates an already complicated profile for the Phillies. Again, for all the reasons noted above, Philadelphia really doesn't need to pour resources into a starting pitcher. Especially not Crochet, whose age, production, and the potential for a long-term deal (even at great cost) means the price is sky-high. It would require several top prospects to pry Crochet out of Chicago, and Philadelphia already has Andrew Painter coming down the pipeline next season.

Philadelphia is in great position to extend Crochet. Dombrowski loves to double down on rotation strength and money has never been an issue for the Phils. But, paying Crochet god-knows-what with five proven starters already in the rotation, with several viable stopgap options in tow, just seems like a misuse of resources. Philadelphia would be better served using the same assets to land a slugging centerfielder or even a top-shelf closer, such as Tanner Scott or Mason Miller.

Crochet would be an awesome luxury for the Phils. There's a world in which he puts Philadelphia over the top as the No. 3 starter postseason starter behind Wheeler and Nola. But, there's also a world in which Crochet runs out of gas or gets hurt. Factor in how barren the farm system would feel after trading for Crochet, and Philadelphia should resist the temptation and focus elsewhere.