The Philadelphia Phillies are expected to trade for a position player before the August 1 deadline. Who they trade for depends on the status of Bryce Harper. If Harper is cleared to return to the field and play first base, the situation boils down. If Harper is cleared, then Kyle Schwarber will become the designated hitter. Equally important, that opens up a spot in the outfield. If Harper is not cleared, the Phillies likely trade for a corner infielder. Moreover, the Phillies are currently 48-41. Furthermore, in the NL Wild Card standings, the Phillies are a half-game behind the final third playoff spot.
Writers Note: All prospect rankings are from the MLB Pipeline rankings and are team rankings.
Ideal Phillies Trades
If Harper Can Play First Base
Trade #1
The St. Louis Cardinals are having a historically bad season by their standards. Likewise, the team is expected to be sellers at the trade deadline. The Cardinals have a crowded outfield, making them a perfect trade partner for the Phillies if Harper is cleared to play in the field. With the Phillies lineup stacked with left-handed hitters, it would make sense to acquire a right-handed bat. Acquiring Tyler O’Neill, who has two gold gloves, greatly improves the Phillies outfield defense. This could be the Brandon Marsh trade of 2023 for the Phillies. However, O’Neill has missed the last month plus with an injury.
Phillies Receive
OF Tyler O’Neill
Cardinals Receive
SS William Bergolla (#11) and RHP Jaydenn Estanista (#27)
Trade #2
While the Washington Nationals are a division rival and unlikely to make a trade with the Phillies, they have some players they are likely to trade. Lane Thomas is one of those players. Acquiring Thomas would cost more than trading for O’Neill, but there is more long-term value. The Phillies would have an extra year of team control with Thomas, who is also a year younger than O’Neill. Regarding what each player brings to Philadelphia, they have similar defensive abilities, with Thomas being the better of the two offensively. Thomas currently has the fourth-best batting average in the NL with a .302 average with 14 home runs and 49 RBI.
Phillies Receive
OF Lane Thomas
Nationals Receive
LHP Matt Strahm, IF Scott Kingery, RHP Griff McGarry (#4) and SS Starlyn Caba (#23)
If Harper Cannot Play First Base
Trade #1
As previously mentioned, the Cardinals are likely to sell at the deadline. However, it is less likely that the Cardinals will trade Nolan Arenado. If Arenado is traded, it would take a lot to make a deal happen. In this scenario, the Phillies would have incentives to make this trade happen. Acquiring Arenado would allow Alec Bohm to play first base full-time for the rest of the season. Making this trade would come at a cost for the Phillies, but it is worth it if they are able to acquire a player like Arenado. This trade will only happen if the Cardinals decide to sell fully and go into rebuild mode.
Phillies Receive
3B Nolan Arenado
Cardinals Receive
1B Darick Hall, OF Jake Cave, RHP Andrew Painter (#1), OF Ethan Wilson (#14) and C Caleb Ricketts (#26)
Trade #2
This trade is even more unlikely than the one previously. The price to trade for Paul Goldschmidt would likely be higher. This would be a major blockbuster trade, unlike many in recent years. Additionally, in this situation, Bohm would return to playing his primary position of third base full-time. Just like with the Arenado deal, this trade would see the Phillies add a player that can hit and field to solidify the infield. While trading two of your top prospects in this situation is not ideal, the reward may outweigh the risk. This is a good example of the baseball dilemma regarding trading top prospects for short-term gain.
Phillies Receive
1B Paul Goldschmidt
Cardinals Receive
OF Jake Cave, IF Josh Harrison, LHP Bailey Falter, RHP Andrew Painter (#1) and OF Gabriel Rincones Jr. (#7)
Photo Credit: © Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Tyler O’Neill, Brandon Marsh, William Bergolla, Jaydenn Estanista, Lane Thomas, Matt Strahm, Scott Kingery, Griff McGarry, Starlyn Caba, Nolan Arenado, Alec Bohm, Darick Hall, Jake Cave, Andrew Painter, Ethan Wilson, Caleb Ricketts, Paul Goldschmidt, Josh Harrison, Bailey Falter, Gabriel Rincones Jr.
