Phillies long list of Luis Robert Jr. backup plans keeps on growing

The Philadelphia Phillies are 46-21, the best record in the National League and a whopping 10.0 games ahead of the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East. We all knew the Phils were good, but we did not know the Phils were this good.

It's hard to poke holes in such an electric start, especially now that Philadelphia has beat up on some quality competition. That said, the best front offices are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve their roster. Phillies GM Dave Dombrowski takes a notoriously aggressive approach to his job. The Phillies are never afraid to spend money when it counts, and a blockbuster trade to boost the best roster in baseball is very much in the cards.

If there's a weak point on the Phillies' roster (aside from the impending months-long absence of J.T. Realmuto behind home plate), it's the outfield. Brandon Marsh, Nick Castellanos, and Johan Rojas all have their perks, but none of Philadelphia's regular starters qualify as elite — or even particularly great, at the moment.

Castellanos is generally an explosive, if unstable source of offense. His bat has been colder than normal out of the gate, while Rojas' sustained inability to hit for contact or power offsets his brilliant defense in centerfield. Marsh has long been deployed as a platoon option, rather than a full-time starter. He has lost reps to (a very disappointing) Whit Merrifield, as well as David Dahl and Cristian Pache. Not to mention injury.

The Phillies would benefit from a real heavy-hitting everyday starter in the outfield. A popular trade candidate floating around the rumor mill is Chicago White Sox All-Star Luis Robert Jr., who finished 12th in AL MVP voting last season. It has been a slow build for Robert in 2024 after returning from a hip injury, but he's exactly what the Phillies need on paper.

That said, Jim Bowden of The Athletic highlighted several viable alternatives if Robert is ultimately out of the Phillies' reach.

Luis Robert Jr. alternatives emerge as Phillies look to upgrade outfield depth chart

Among the names listed by Bowden are Robert (duh), Tommy Pham, Jake McCarthy, Lane Thomas, Gavin Sheets, Brendan Donovan, and Jacob Young. He notes that, should the Phillies opt against an expensive transaction with the White Sox, Philadelphia can still get bang for its buck with a less splashy move.

"The Phillies’ front office is trying to improve their outfield with either an offensive upgrade in center field or by adding complementary outfielders. They could do one-stop shopping with the White Sox to acquire Luis Robert Jr. and Tommy Pham but that would cost them three of their top-four prospects, or they could lower their sights to outfielders like Jacob Young of the Nationals or Jake McCarthy of the Diamondbacks."

The ideal outcome here is Robert, who is 26 years old with team control of his contract through the 2027 campaign. That is an additional three years of Robert's prime guaranteed to Philadelphia, assuming such a trade goes down. It's hard to find young All-Stars on such team-friendly deals just... there for the taking. The White Sox are shopping everybody, and Robert instantly cements Philadelphia as a favorite — maybe even the favorite — to contend for a World Series.

That said, Robert would cost a lot. Even a deal for his less illustrious teammate Tommy Pham would boost the Phillies' offensive profile, and it wouldn't cost Dave Dombrowski an arm and a leg. McCarthy, Young, Thomas — these are all solid players who would make a great team even better.

While not equipped with an elite farm system, the Phillies have enough ammo to make waves ahead of the July 30 trade deadline. This is the same team that reportedly offered Yoshinobu Yamamoto more than $325 million in free agency despite rostering Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez. If Dombrowski can add a star, he will add a star.