A Phillies-A’s trade to keep Philadelphia firmly ahead of Braves in NL East

If there is one constant during the month of July, it is that Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski will be looking to make a trade and like clockwork, it was reported by USA Today's Bob Nightengale that the Phillies are “keeping a close eye on” on A's outfielder Brent Rooker weeks before the July 30 trade deadline.

The Phillies hold the best record in the league at 58-32 but have been hit recently with injuries to their pitching staff and the combination of David Dahl, Whit Merrifield, Johan Rojas and Cristian Pache have not been effective at the plate. Both Pache and Merrifield are batting under .200 and Dahl is striking out at nearly 34 percent clip.

What a Phillies-Athletics trade for Brent Rooker would look like

So Dombrowski is looking to upgrade the outfield, but unlike deals in the past, is not looking to trade off significant pieces of his farm system. Rooker broke out last season, hitting 30 home runs and putting up a wRC+ of 127 and so far this season, continues that trend of hitting with power but now, hitting for average, at a .277 clip with a wRC+ of 153.

He is in the 92 percentile in batting run value at 19, and has one of the better barrel rates in the league, ranking at a 96 percent clip with 16.4 percent. So what would a trade that would give the Phillies three years of club control look like for Rooker?

The right-handed hitting 6-8 De La Cruz (ranked 12th on MLB Pipeline Top 30 Phillies prospect list) was a 2023 Eastern League All-Star after hitting .259/.344/.454 with an OPS of .798 with 24 home runs, 25 doubles and drove in 67. He can play either left or centerfield.

Muzziotti, who was designated for assignment earlier in the year to make room for Max Castillo, was a top-10 Phillies prospect. He is a lefty bat with that is known as a plus defender in center and more known for his hitting tool than hitting for power.

Aldegheri may be the piece that Dombrowski may not want to give up. He leads the South Atlantic League in K-per-9 at 12.6. Translation: He has struck out 88 in 63 innings of work. But the A's pitching depth is rather thin and Aldegheri's arm is intriguing to make up for loss like Rooker.

The Phillies may look elsewhere, like the Detroit Tigers' Mark Canha or Tommy Pham in Chicago, since their prospect asking price would be smaller. But Rooker would add some more firepower to already impressive lineup.