It's been over a decade since the Philadelphia Phillies exited the All-Star break with a comfortable lead in the National League East division as they do in 2024. With the unofficial second half of the MLB season set to begin this Friday, the Phillies own an 8 1/2 game lead over the Atlanta Braves and have the best record in the league at 62-34.
As if there was any doubt about what the goal was entering the season, the Phillies amplified their championship expectations with arguably the best first half in franchise history. It's full steam ahead toward October the rest of the way and the Philadelphia faithful are itching to celebrate another championship.
There is work for the Phils to do to make that happen. Despite having eight All-Stars, a joint MLB record, Philly needs some reinforcements for the stretch run of the season. Teams can’t afford to waste a single roster spot amid a pennant chase and the Phillies made that clear when they released underperforming veteran utility man Whit Merrifield on July 12.
With the MLB trade deadline two weeks away, there's no secret that the Phillies are out to bring meaningful additions to the roster. It's also not a question as to where they need help, albeit in few places. The fact that Philly has the majority of its roster figured out before locking into a playoff race is great. Finding the right two or three players to round out the clubhouse could make all the difference in the postseason.
The Phils have been linked to highly-coveted names like Tanner Scott, Luis Robert Jr. and Brent Rooker. While it's possible Philly acquires one of those potential game-changers, there are a few under-the-radar names that could be impact players when games matter most.
Kirby Yates
Who turned back the clock to 2019? That was the last, and before this year the only time, Kirby Yates was an MLB All-Star. He more than earned his second entry into the Midsummer Classic with a dominant display of relief pitching in the first half of 2024.
Yates carries a 1.05 ERA into the break and is a perfect 16 for 16 in save opportunities for the Texas Rangers. He's surrendered only 15 hits compared to 46 strikeouts across 34 1/3 innings.
The Rangers don’t want to be sellers at the deadline and Yates doesn’t want to be traded. The reality is that he's a rental piece with value and Texas is one bad week away from being well out of the playoff race.
“I think it's kind of the reality, when you pitch good and you're on a team below .500, that people are going to be talking,” Yates said, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. “I love it here. I don't want to get traded, personally. You look around that clubhouse, we have really good baseball players in there. I don’t think anybody's in there necessarily thinking that we're giving in.”
The 37-year-old Yates was out to prove he could still pitch at an elite level this season. He has done that and might find himself on a World Series contender before August.
The Phillies bullpen has pitched exceptionally well but could use a new arm or two. If Philly can add another reliable late-inning option it might put them over the top. Kirby Yates won't cost as much as Scott or Mason Miller and has been just as effective this season.
Tommy Pham
Phillies fans may be haunted by the name Tommy Pham after the veteran outfielder played a role in Philly's downfall last October. Pham's lead-off home run in the top of the second inning of Game 6 in the 2023 NLCS sparked the Diamondbacks, who improbably avoided elimination on consecutive nights in Philadelphia to clinch the NL pennant.
Fast-forward eight months and Pham is a player who might provide a similar spark for the Phillies. The 36-year-old has a .706 OPS and 15 extra-base hits in 60 games with the Chicago White Sox. Those are hardly numbers to scream about, but the reason Pham is on Philly's radar is his success against left-handed pitching.
Pham has a .863 OPS against lefties this season and is a career .270 hitter versus southpaws. The Phillies have been looking for a complementary outfield piece to platoon with Brandon Marsh who is 7-for-49 against lefties this season. Pham checks all the boxes of what they're looking for.
Tommy Pham has repeatedly performed in big moments. He's a .313 hitter in 31 MLB postseason games. He is well-liked wherever he goes and has been traded at the deadline two years in a row. A third midseason trade is imminent and Pham could end up in the City of Brotherly Love.
Lane Thomas
One of the hottest hitters in the league entering the All-Star break, Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas has caught the Phillies' eye. The free-swinging right fielder is a good fit for Philadelphia but likely comes with a steeper price tag being a divisional player.
Thomas is hitting nearly .300 in July and reached base safely in his last 14 games. His pop has eluded him recently with only three extra-base hits (all doubles) across his last 17 games. Thomas has shown his strength in the big leagues before though, launching 28 home runs with 36 doubles in 2023.
The Nationals flirted with .500 earlier this season but are 44-53 two weeks before the MLB trade deadline. They appear slightly ahead of schedule on their rebuild but will probably still sell off some players before July 30.
Lane Thomas isn’t a free agent until 2026 and is trending upward, making him a coveted player. Trading for Thomas would likely mean the end of Nick Castellanos in Philadelphia. The Phillies nor the fans might not be ready for that, but if business is business, Philly will entertain the thought of acquiring an everyday right fielder like Thomas.
Lucas Erceg
No, it's not Mason Miller, but it is an Oakland Athletics reliever with electric stuff. Lucas Erceg is a flamethrowing right-hander who's done nothing but put away hitters on the regular in 2024.
Erceg is 2-2 with a 2.94 ERA, 11 holds and two saves in 34 games. He's struck out 38 batters with only 12 walks and did not allow a run across his last nine appearances. Most of his outings come in the eighth inning as well, proving he is a reliable late-inning option.
Erceg deploys a four-pitch mix that features a fastball and sinker that both touch triple digits. He uses a changeup and slider pretty frequently as well, all of them more than 20 percent of the time.
After struggling as a rookie upon his MLB debut last May, Erceg has a 2.33 ERA since last September. He carried the momentum from a good finish last year into this season and is a solid sidekick to Miller for Oakland.
The A's have to be wowed to move Miller, but they might not be as reluctant to hang onto Erceg. Contenders are always looking for bullpen help at the trade deadline and the Phillies are no exception this year. Landing Lucas Erceg would give the Phils a controllable bullpen arm with good upside that can help their title push now and become a more impactful piece in the future.
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