The Philadelphia Phillies appear to be looking to shore up their outfield ahead of the 2022 MLB trade deadline, particularly their defense in center field, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The Phillies also  reportedly on have Ramon Laureano on their wish list to address that need, though as Heyman pointed out in a recent tweet, the Oakland Athletics are unlikely to part ways soon with the outfielder.

“Phillies looking for some defense in CF. Ramon Laureano is the top of the market but not that likely to be moved. Sone other considerations: Michael A. Taylor, Jackie Bradley Jr. (Dombrowski Red Sox link), Jose Siri.”

The Phillies are currently 9.5 games behind the New York Mets in the National League East division and 6.5 games back of the Atlanta Braves. They are still in the hunt for the top spot in the division, but a postseason appearance as a wild card seems to be the more realistic target at the moment for Philadelphia, which had already made a move late July; the Phillies shipped lefty reliever JoJo Romero the St. Louis Cardinals for infielder Edmundo Sosa. That trade, however, hardly moves the needle for the Phillies, who are still out there looking for a bigger game-changer in the trade market.

The 2022 MLB trade deadline is coming right up this Tuesday, and it remains to be seen whether the Phillies have anything imminent on the trade front — or, whether they will still continue their pursuit of Laureano.

So far this 2022 MLB season, Laureano is batting .226 with a .310 OBP and .408 SLG along with 11 home runs and 23 RBIs.