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Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski should have a mental checklist of what this ballclub needs with less than a week to go until the MLB trade deadline. Unless the front office upgrades the bullpen and outfield, a World Series parade seems highly unlikely this year. Besides completing these crucial tasks, the tremendously successful executive must also add roster depth. He was able to do that on Saturday.
The Phillies are acquiring outfielder Brewer Hicklen from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for cash considerations, per The Athletic's Cody Stavenhagen. This franchise obviously has more pressing matters to attend to before the July 31 deadline, but minor moves such as these can come in handy if the injury bug strikes at an inopportune time.
Philly is not planning to utilize Hicklen right away, maintaining its big-league roster flexibility by optioning him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. The team is designating right-handed pitcher Ryan Cusick for assignment to make room on the 40-man.
Hicklen has played in 10 MLB games across his time with the Kansas City Royals, Milwaukee Brewers and Tigers. He recorded his first two hits in a May 8th outing versus the Colorado Rockies this season. Detroit did not call upon him again. The 2017 seventh-round draft pick batted .227 with eight home runs and 31 RBIs in 216 at-bats with the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens in 2025.
The 29-year-old will get to work with the IronPigs and try to earn another invite to The Show before too long. In the meantime, the Phils are searching for more firepower.
What will Phillies do at the trade deadline?
Max Kepler and Brandon Marsh each have a sub-.700 OPS and Nick Castellanos' inconsistencies are well documented by now. The outfield trade market appears rather sparse, but 2023 All-Star Luis Robert Jr. and veteran Ramon Laureano are realistic options Dombrowski can explore.
Of course, the biggest blemish on this squad is arguably the bullpen. Is that Sonny and Cher's “I Got You Babe” playing in the background? Because this certainly feels like Groundhog Day. Philly's relief unit is an annual concern around this time of year, and no matter what management does to address it, struggles persist. This year's group is particularly vulnerable.
Free-agent signing Jordan Romano has picked up where he left off with the Toronto Blue Jays last season, posting a ghastly 6.99 ERA and .818 OPS against in 37 1/3 innings of work. It may be wishful thinking to expect him to regain his All-Star form. Furthermore, Jose Alvarado is ineligible to pitch in the playoffs after incurring an 80-game suspension for violating MLB's performance-enhancing substance policy. A David Robertson reunion is intriguing, but more reinforcements are required.
While it is never cheap to bolster the pen, there could be a number of talented arms available in the coming days. Jhoan Duran, Ryan Helsley, David Bednar and Mason Miller are some candidates the Phillies may envision as their ideal closer for the remainder of the campaign.
Again, though, flashy deals are not enough. Seemingly insignificant transactions can also have a surprisingly meaningful impact. Fans hope the Brewer Hicklen acquisition earns such a classification.
