The Phillies have many trade deadline targets to consider. Which ones will they stick with and complete to make a deep run in October?
Here lies the Philadelphia Phillies with a record of (56-47), tied for the first Wild Card spot with the Cincinnati Reds. With the trade deadline on August 1st ending at 6 p.m., the big question for the Phillies is what trade deadline targets will they consider. Will they trade for another starter, or will they trade for a power bat in left field? Below, are some options the club has to choose from.
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Phillies Possible Trade Deadline Targets
Trade #1 Jordan Montgomery
Jordan Montgomery is a surging trade piece as of late for the Phillies. Jordan Montgomery is currently on the St. Louis Cardinals, who stand in fourth place with a record of (46-59) in the National League Central Division. There is no doubt that other teams are calling the Cardinals for other trades since they are near the bottom of the league in the standings. Recently, there have been reports that the Phillies have been aggressively scouting Montgomery. Montgomery would fit great into the Phillies’ pitching rotation.
The thirty-year-old lefty stands six feet six inches tall and can throw a nasty changeup away to lefties, and a hooking curveball that lives in the bottom of the zone. With the Phillies possibly trading for Montgomery, this trade would make the Phillies’ pitching rotation more dynamic than it already is. The Phillies starting rotation as it stands now has a total of 562 1/3 innings pitched so far this season, which ranks seventh in the MLB.
One Cardinals deadline partner I’m keeping an eye on: the Phillies. They’ve scouted Jordan Montgomery heavily and absolutely have the upper level pitching talent to make a connection.
— Jeff Jones (@jmjones) July 28, 2023
Trade #2 Tommy Pham
While the Phillies could go in the direction of acquiring pitching, they could also go in the direction of acquiring a left-handed bat in Tommy Pham. Pham has been on several teams while being in the big leagues, and his reputation has been a steady one. He isn’t a flashy player, but he is viewed as a consistent piece in the outfield. This season with the New York Mets, Pham is batting in the middle of the pack at .265 BA and has 35 RBIs on the season. This would be an upgrade for the Phillies’ outfield since Kyle Schwarber has been moved to the designated hitter spot in the lineup, due to Bryce Harper coming back to play first base. Pham also has the occasional pop in his bat as well to give his team a boost with 9 home runs on the season.
Trade #3 Cody Bellinger
Another option that can be relatively cheap for President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski to consider would be Cody Bellinger. Bellinger, who currently plays for the Chicago Cubs, is on a one-year deal with the team. The former National League MVP Award winner is currently hitting a sizzling .319 BA and has 15 home runs on the season. Having Bellinger dealt at the deadline would be a significant upgrade for the fightin’ Phils. Bellinger is a complete player with the attributes of him being able to play all three outfield positions, and he can also hit the long ball.
The Phillies are a strong team now, that just needs some tweaking in the field, and pitching rotation to make them the best team possible. The Phillies snuck in the third and final Wild Card spot last season, to go on and shock the world and punch a ticket to the World Series. With these potential acquisitions, will they be having a Red October back in Philadelphia again this year?
Main photo credits:
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Players mentioned:
Jordan Montgomery, Tommy Pham, Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Cody Bellinger