With just hours remaining until the 2023 MLB trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies find themselves in need of serious help. They could very well miss the playoffs after winning the National League pennant. Underperformances from its biggest stars and a few notable injuries have left them in desperate need of a midseason boost.

Among the Phillies' biggest needs entering the trade deadline is a righty bat in the outfield. The lefty-heavy lineup has struggled to take advantage of runners on base and the outfield depth has been pretty tough. Despite strong seasons from Brandon Marsh and Nick Castellanos (at least until his July slump), they need another everyday outfielder with Bryce Harper still unable to play the outfield and Kyle Schwarber's already bad defense becoming worse.

Unfortunately for the Phillies, this trade deadline's market has seen a dearth of high-level righty outfielders. Luis Robert would be a coup but is not expected to be traded, nor is Juan Soto, a lefty that's worth pulling out all the stops to land. Randal Grichuk and Mark Cahna have been traded already and the remaining options are good, not great. Still, Philly should be able to find someone who can help them finish their business from last season.

At the 2023 MLB trade deadline, the Phillies should trade for Seattle Mariners outfielder Teoscar Hernandez.

Phillies must trade for Teoscar Hernandez ahead of 2023 trade deadline

This season has not been kind to Hernandez, who leads MLB in total strikeouts and has a mere .694 OPS. Despite being very good at getting barrels and hard contact, his 32.1 percent strikeout rate and career-low 5.6 percent walk rate have held him back.

However, the 30-year-old has a great track record that includes an All-Star selection two seasons ago and two Silver Sluggers in that season and the one prior. In the three seasons before being traded to the Mariners, Hernandez raked for the Toronto Blue Jays, posting an OPS of .852 with 227 RBI and 73 home runs in 324 games (1,337 plate appearances). He has been one of the best outfielders in baseball in recent memory.

In a ballpark more friendly to hitters, Hernandez could get closer to his Blue Jays numbers if he joins the Phillies. His defense in the corner outfield spots has been solid throughout his career but this season, where he has spent almost all of his time in right field, has been his best with the glove. He's one of five right fielders with six defensive runs saved and is in the 69th percentile of outs above average on Baseball Savant. His arm strength is in the 75th percentile.

Adding Hernandez would give the Phillies a righty with power to complement Harper, Schwarber, Marsh and Bryson Stott. It would allow Schwarber to stick to being a designated hitter and leave Harper with his first-base spot. Betting on him to improve at the plate is worth it for the upside he would bring to Citizens Bank Park.

What would Phillies trade to Mariners?

In return for Hernandez, the Phillies could send Carlos De La Cruz, a 6-foot-8, 23-year-old outfield prospect. In 92 games at the Double-A level this year, he has posted a slash line of .286/.359/.488 with 108 hits, 49 RBI and 18 home runs. Each of those numbers is up from last year, where he played 102 games across the High-A and Double-A levels.

With Johan Rojas already up with the Phillies, Simon Muzziotti seemingly not too far behind him and Justin Crawford, Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Emaarion Boyd showing promise as players to be called up in a few years, De La Cruz's path to playing time at the big leagues is stuffed. Using him to boost their chances to win now makes sense for the Phillies.

De La Cruz, who could make the leap to the show next season, could be an intriguing addition to the Mariners' farm system, which will be tapping into its outfield prospects to find the right guys to play alongside Julio Rodriguez. At the very least, it would allow them to get some value in return for Hernandez, who has been disappointing for them this season.

Since Hernandez has not been super productive this season and is about to be a free agent this offseason, the Phillies should exercise caution when pursuing him. The market for Hernandez is expected to feature numerous other playoff-hungry teams, so it could very well take more than one prospect to get a deal done. They could cautiously dangle Ethan Wilson, a lefty-hitting outfielder with some intriguing pop. They also have a bunch of right-handed pitchers to offer.

The Phillies need to do something at the deadline. Teoscar Hernandez would be worth the gamble as they continue to show a need for better hitting and a more legitimate outfield option.