With less than two months until the MLB trade deadline of July 30, the wheels are in motion, and rumours are swirling. As baseball’s best team, the Philadelphia Phillies will undoubtedly be buyers, with their sights set on a World Series appearance.
Now, courtesy to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, we have a better sense of what the team’s plans might be leading up to the end of July. On Tuesday, Passan published his early 2024 MLB trade deadline forecast, outlining what the Phillies will be looking for.
While the well-known MLB insider discusses the prospect of adding another bullpen arm, he concentrates on another area, stating that the Phillies will “be all over the outfield market.”
Phillies rumours: Jeff Passan links PHI to significant trade deadline outfield upgrades.
To our delight, Passan mentioned names.
So, who does he believe president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld would pursue to bolster an already deep squad in preparation for a World Series run?
Given Dombrowski’s tendency to go big or go home with deals, he lists the Chicago White Sox’s Luis Robert Jr., the Tampa Bay Rays’ Randy Arozarena, and the Houston Astros’ Kyle Tucker as potential deadline additions.
How do these outfielders compare as potential upgrades for the Phillies’ lineup?
Luis Robert Jr. has impressive power and quickness, but he is prone to injuries.
The difficulty is that he can’t stay healthy enough to use his tools throughout the season. The 26-year-old has only played seven games this season after being placed on the injured list early due to a strained hip flexor.
He has only played one full season since his rookie season, which was cut short in 2020. In 145 games in 2023, he batted.264 with 38 home runs and 20 stolen bases, unquestionably amazing figures that come with significant risk.
Randy Arozarena is intriguing during a weak season.
Arozarena is having his worst season, with slashes.In 58 games, he hit 162/.263/.310, including eight home runs and seven steals. He’s in his sixth year in the league and is a career.Last season, he hit 254, with 23 home runs and 22 stolen bases.
The Rays’ 29-year-old outfielder can be a forceful presence on the field. He is arbitration eligible and under team control until the 2026 season.
Kyle Tucker would be a major addition to the Phillies’ World Series hopes.
Tucker would be a nice addition to the Phillies’ outfield. He’s a complete player, batting.266/.395/.584 with 19 home runs and 10 steals in 60 games this season. The 27-year-old is under contract until 2025 and would undoubtedly be the biggest fish in the group.
He would be a significant upgrade in right field over Nick Castellanos, as well as an everyday left fielder. While acquiring a player of Tucker’s calibre appears to be a pipe dream, as Passan notes, the Phillies have “the minor league system to convince an on-the-fence team to deal a true impact outfielder.”
It is unclear how much Dombrowski will be prepared to part with from the better farm system. However, as the Phillies’ season progresses, their objective of delivering a World Series victory to Philadelphia becomes more realistic, and the front management will want to ensure that the required upgrades are made to propel this team to the next level.
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