Trade Deadline Eve Feels Like Christmas Eve
’Twas the night before the deadline, and all through the Bank, not a bat boy was stirring-not even a Phillie Phanatic prank.
Harper’s clean white jersey was hung by his locker with care, in hopes that Dombrowski would find another bat somewhere.
Mattingly chimed in, stood by his son,
And holy shit- the Phillies actually just won.
Harper made it clear: this roster needs help, so Dombrowski better find something on the deadline shelf.
And now, without further ado, here’s how you fix the Phillies, and Prepare the Floats™ too.
The Phillies need to go all in.
With a potential lockout looming, I’m treating this as one of the final legitimate seasons for this core. The thought of seeing what Aaron Nola, J.T. Realmuto, and Trea Turner may look like by 2027 is enough to make me cry.
Bryce Harper’s recent comments about what the Phillies need were asinine. A star veteran should probably begin that statement with, “It starts with me.”
But we all know Bryce is right.
Anyone with half a baseball IQ can see that the Phillies need help. The front office knows it too, and I expect Dave Dombrowski to be as aggressive as he has ever been.
Now that the Skubal-to-the-Dodgers saga is out of the way, the flood of deadline trades can commence.
Here is my Trade Deadline Eve wish list.
Another Bat
Jo Adell makes a lot of sense.
If Mike Trout refuses to leave California, Adell would do just fine. He would remain under Phillies control through 2027, and Statcast estimates that Adell would have 23 home runs this season if he played his home games at Citizens Bank Park instead of his current 16. He would give the Phillies a legitimate right-handed power bat without forcing them to completely rearrange the defense.
Jung Hoo Lee also makes alot of sense. He is hitting over .300, and his OPS would be above .800 if he played his home games at Citizens Bank Park. Lee bats left-handed, but he has still hit over .280 against left-handed pitching in more than 100 plate appearances.
He is also under team control through 2029. Lee does not provide the right-handed bat the Phillies are reportedly prioritizing, but he would give them another high-contact hitter, improved outfield defense, and a long-term solution in the outfield.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Phillies have also been connected to Angels shortstop Zach Neto.
Acquiring Neto would likely require Trea Turner to move to a corner-outfield position. Trea would probably be better suited for left field because of his arm strength, which could then require Brandon Marsh to move to right.
Neto bats right-handed, has legitimate power, and would also have an estimated 23 home runs this season if he played at Citizens Bank Park. He would remain under team control through 2029.
I would be wary of moving Turner to the outfield in the middle of a season, but this is all-in time.
Starting Pitcher
The Phillies need another starting pitcher.
I know Andrew Painter was recalled and looked pretty good. It was his third consecutive solid outing if you include his final two starts in Triple-A.
Still, I would not trust a rookie, or Aaron Nola, in a postseason series any farther than I could throw a 100-pound block of lead.
And that would not be very far.
Adding another starting pitcher would allow the Phillies to move either the new acquisition or Jesús Luzardo into the bullpen, with Nola and Painter also available in flexible roles until the team potentially reaches a seven-game series.
Another legitimate starter would help address the bullpen problem by keeping the relievers fresh while also adding long-relief depth.
I know he is on the Mets. I also know the Mets may not want to trade him to a division rival. But Clay Holmes would be an awesome addition.
Before breaking his fibula, Holmes had a 2.39 ERA. He owns a career ERA of 3.53 and has experience pitching in high-pressure situations. Holmes is 33 and would likely require an extension, but according to multiple reports, the Phillies had scouts at his High-A rehab start on August 2.
Casey Mize would likely be a rental, but why not completely decimate whatever the Tigers have left after losing Tarik Skubal?
Mize has a 2.70 ERA with 85 strikeouts in 86 innings despite missing time with a groin injury.
Robbie Ray would be another rental, but perhaps the Phillies could construct a larger deal involving both Ray and Jung Hoo Lee. Ray has a 3.08 ERA across 122 innings with 107 strikeouts.
Adding another experienced left-handed starter may appear redundant with Cristopher Sánchez and Luzardo already in the rotation, but the Phils need another starting arm.
Dustin May is another pitcher who could easily fit into the fourth spot in the rotation.
May has a 4.38 ERA with 106 strikeouts across 109 innings and would also be a rental.
He would not be the blockbuster addition some fans are expecting, but he would provide legitimate starting depth and another power arm who could potentially transition into a postseason bullpen role.
Bullpen Depth
The Brad Keller injury really messed the Phillies bullpen up. Keller would have been a solid eighth-inning option. Jonathan Bowlan has since moved into the setup role, but the Phillies still need to add multiple bullpen arms.
I am assuming that at least one of the trades above would likely include Gage Wood. However, if Wood somehow remains in the organization, I would absolutely call him up for the postseason.
Erik Miller is someone the Phillies should try to add alongside José Alvarado.
Miller has a 2.78 ERA with 45 strikeouts in 32 innings. He has also issued 22 walks, so the command is clearly a concern.
Still, the Phillies could use another left-handed reliever capable of missing bats.
Miller would also remain under team control through arbitration until 2029, making him more than a two-month rental.
Daniel Lynch IV does not have Miller’s strikeout rate, but he would provide another much-needed left-handed arm in the bullpen.
Lynch has a 2.00 ERA across 45 innings with 34 strikeouts, and he would remain under team control through 2028.
He may not be the flashy addition that dominates deadline coverage, but championship teams need dependable relievers capable of getting outs in the sixth, seventh, and eighth innings.
Dombrowski, Must Deliver the Deadline
The Phillies do not need one minor addition around the edges. They need another impact bat, another starting pitcher, and multiple bullpen arms.
This aging core may not have many legitimate opportunities left, and with a looming lockout, this may be the final chance. Dombrowski needs to deliver the presents.
