With the best record in Major League Baseball, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be very active at the trade deadline to try and assert themselves as World Series favorites.
There aren't too many holes on the Phillies roster. They have one of the best starting rotations in baseball led by All-Stars Zack Wheeler and Ranger Suarez, along with Aaron Nola and Cristopher Sanchez. They also have an elite bullpen featuring All-Stars Jeff Hoffman and Matt Strahm. All-Star starters Bryce Harper, Alec Bohm, and Trea Turner headline a stacked infield. JT Realmuto, who is considered by many to be the best catcher in baseball, is about to return from the injured list. At designated hitter, Kyle Schwarber is continuing to crush the ball.
One place the Phillies are actively looking to improve though is in the outfield, where they are reportedly “prioritizing a trade this month for a right-handed-hitting outfielder,” according to Matt Gelb of the Athletic.
The Phillies have reportedly had conversations regarding center fielders Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox, Jazz Chisholm of the Miami Marlins, Cody Bellinger of the Chicago Cubs, Jake McCarthy of the Arizona Diamondbacks and Jacob Young of the Washington Nationals, according to Jim Bowden of the Athletic on MLB Network Radio.
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Of the players Bowden mentioned, only Robert Jr. and Young bat right-handed.
With the White Sox preparing to rebuild and undergo a fire sale, Robert Jr. has been the subject of countless trade rumors. He would be an instant improvement in center field over Rojas, playing a similar level of elite defense while bringing 30+ home run potential at the plate.
Young is one of the most intriguing young players in baseball with the Nationals. While the 24-year-old rookie hasn't hit for much power yet in his career, he is a terror on the base paths with 20 steals so far this season and is an elite defender while having a respectable .314 OBP. The Nationals outfield could get very crowded soon, with James Wood already contributing in the Major Leagues and prospects Dylan Crews and Robert Hassell III expected to push for playing time next season, making Young potentially expendable.
Another player who has been linked to the Phillies is Oakland A's outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker. While Rooker is limited defensively to the corner outfield spots, and has spent the majority of his career as a DH, the Phillies have shown in the past that they are willing to sacrifice outfield defense for production at the plate, most notably when the started Schwarber and Nick Castellanos in the outfield together while Bryce Harper forced to DH while rehabbing his elbow.
Why the Phillies need to upgrade their outfield
While they've been more than serviceable so far, the outfield has clearly been the weakest part of a stacked Phillies team.
Left-handed hitting Brandon Marsh is best used as a platoon against right-handed pitchers. Against RHPs, he's slashing .302/.385/.522 compared to just .149/.222/.170 against left-handed pitchers.
Rojas is an elite defender, but he's also struggled at the plate, not hitting for any real power and struggling with plate discipline.
If the Phillies can get an upgrade in center field or find someone to platoon with Marsh against LHPs, they'll be in a much better position to compete for a World Series championship.
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