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The Philadelphia Phillies, a club known more in recent years for its postseason success than its regular-season win totals, has flipped the script this season. Philadelphia's 46 wins are the most in the National League and good enough for a 9.0-game lead atop the NL East.
Yet, despite this hot start, there is room for improvement as the Phillies push for their first World Series title since 2008. Here are three early MLB trade deadline targets the Phillies should pursue
Phillies trade needs
Right field
Despite a slow second half of the 2023 season, Nick Castellanos finished with 26 homers and a career-best 106 RBIs while receiving MVP votes. That second-half slump has continued into the early portion of the 2024 schedule. The Phillies right fielder is batting just .214 with a .630 OPS — each far below his career averages. He batted .229 in May, and it still raised his average by nearly 20 points
Castellanos has also consistently been one of the worst base runners and fielders over the last few seasons. The 32-year-old has cost Philadelphia two runs on the basepaths thus far in 2024 (tied for the worst in the league) and seven runs defensively. Add in the negative six runs Castellanos has been worth at the plate, and it is easy to see how he has a -0.2 WAR through 68 games played.
Center field
Aside from right field, center field is the only other position Philadelphia has received negative WAR from this season. Johan Rojas is the Phillies' primary CF, playing 54 games in center this year. The speedster has 14 stolen bases on the year but has offered little else for the squad, posting an OPS of .564 while only providing slightly above-average defense. Adding another bat to the outfield will make Philadelphia a World Series favorite.
Phillies trade targets
Tommy Pham (OF), Chicago White Sox
If the Phillies want an affordable, dependable outfield option, then Tommy Pham is the top option. Pham has consistently been a threat to reach 15 homers and 20 stolen bases in a season throughout his career while demonstrating an above-average ability to get on base. This season, Pham ranked in the 90th percentile in expected batting average and the 81st percentile in average exit velocity before falling on the IL with an ankle injury
Tommy Pham is back on a rehab assignment and would be an ideal low-cost outfield addition for a World Series contender like the Phillies.
Lane Thomas (OF), Washington Nationals
The Phillies have been among the most aggressive teams in the MLB on the basepaths this year, swiping 73 bases — good for fourth in MLB. The team could lean into that strength even more by acquiring Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas. The 28-year-old has 16 stolen bases in just 38 games played this year and has been much improved at the plate since returning from the IL, batting .280 with an OPS of .800 over his last 17 games. Lane Thomas would be another table-setting for a potent Phillies offense.
Michael Kopech (RP), Chicago White Sox
Two-time All-Star Gregory Soto has not found the same success with the Phillies, and right-hander Seranthony Dominguez has regressed again this season. Soto has a 4.79 ERA across 20.2 innings pitched, with a career-worst 5.7 walks per nine innings, while Dominguez has a 4.76 ERA.
The rest of the Philadelphia bullpen has been very good, but adding a talented arm like Michael Kopech makes this pen even more fearsome.
