They’re too good not to go all-in at the trade deadline.
They did it again.
Last night in San Francisco, the Phillies wasted yet another outstanding performance by a starting pitcher. This time, it was Cristopher Sanchez and his seven innings of one-run ball in which he struck out eight and walked just one in their 3-1 loss to the Giants.
They nearly wasted Zack Wheeler’s historic near-perfect game on Sunday, surviving a 3-1 win thanks to an eighth-inning, two-run home run from Bryson Stott that allowed them to win their series against the Reds.
The offense has been a rough watch for most of the season, but particularly infuriating over the last week.
Entering Tuesday, the Phillies are 0-for-their-last-24 with runners in scoring position. Even in a down offensive year, their 97 home runs this season are just 15th-most in baseball, their .404 team slugging percentage is tied for 13th, and only one position player, Kyle Schwarber, is on pace to clear 20 homers.
The Phils’ rotation has been incredible in the first half, evoking comparisons to the 2011 Super Rotation that is one of the greatest in MLB history. Wheeler, Sanchez and Ranger Suarez are performing at levels we didn’t even see when Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels were fronting the ‘11 rotation.
And while the Phillies are in first place, they’re wasting too many great outings from these guys.
Phillies starting pitchers have allowed 1 run or fewer in 14 of their past 18 games.
⚾️ 2.18 ERA, 119 K, 26 BB
Somehow they’re only 10-8 in that stretch.
— John Fisher (@JohnnyPhisher) July 8, 2025
Their .256 batting average with runners in scoring position is 13th in the Majors, but with the bases loaded, it’s .194, third-worst. At some crucial positions, the Phillies simply are not getting enough offense, even with overall numbers down around the game.
- Catcher: 83 wRC+ (20th)
- First Base: 111 wRC+ (12th)
- Second Base: 89 wRC+ (15th)
- Third Base: 99wRC+ (13th)
- Left Field: 87 wRC+ (25th)
- Center Field: 80 wRC+ (22nd)
- Right Field: 106 wRC+ (T-14th)
There are two positions where the Phillies have a top-10 offensive performer: shortstop (Trea Turner, 7th) and designated hitter (Schwarber, 2nd). The hope is Harper’s production will improve in the second half. Castellanos’ offensive contributions have been fine.
If the Phillies want to give themselves their best shot to avoid another disappointing and frustrating October, this is the trade deadline to go all-in and secure a difference-making bat in the lineup.
What do I mean by “all-in?” On the latest Hittin’ Season podcast, we discussed what that might look like.
Zack Wheeler is steaming towards his first Cy Young Award and is in the midst of his best season at age 35. This is likely Suarez’ final season in Philadelphia, he’s sporting a 1.99 ERA. Sanchez’ ERA sits at 2.59. Jesus Luzardo will likely move to the bullpen in October, and his recent funk is mysterious, but he has the ability to dominate when right, and Aaron Nola will be along soon.
This is a championship rotation that may or may not add the No. 1 pitching prospect in the game, Andrew Painter, soon.
The offense will kill it unless additions are made.
In terms of the trade deadline, there are some good bats out there, but admittedly, there is no perfect fit. There is no right-handed power hitting outfielder or third base/first baseman with 2-3 years left of team control where you could more easily stomach dealing away two Top-100 prospects.
Going “all-in” at the deadline means doing something uncomfortable. It means trading away two top-100 prospects for someone you may only have for two months. After all, prospects are prospects. They are far from a sure thing.
The Phillies have not had a long history of dealing away prospects who later became stars, so why are we so afraid of this? The franchise certainly regrets trading away Ryne Sandberg in the early 1980s, but over the last 35 years, which prospect was dealt away that the Phils later regretted trading?
Carlos Carrasco in the 2009 Cliff Lee trade? Travis d’Arnaud in the Halladay deal? Michael Bourn for Brad Lidge? J.P. Crawford for Jean Segura?
The Phillies would do all of those trade again in a heartbeat.
The odds Aidan Miller, Justin Crawford or Eduardo Tait become stars, even as highly regarded as they are, are remote. Even former top prospects in the organization Alec Bohm and Bryson Stott haven’t become cornerstone players, although both have been solid contributors over the last four seasons.
I would rather risk losing prospects, than losing 2-1 games in October.
The argument has been made that an external addition isn’t going to move the needle all that much, especially since there doesn’t appear to be a bona fide superstar available at this year’s trade deadline. If the offense is going to survive and, perish the thought, thrive in October, it’s going to happen via improvement from internal options.
That’s very true. If Bryson Stott doesn’t improve on his .653 OPS, if J.T. Realmuto doesn’t get his .674 OPS higher, if Max Kepler continues to hit .212, if Brandon Marsh trips, Nick Castellanos slips, Alec Bohm dips or, most importantly, Bryce Harper isn’t himself over the final three months, the Phillies are in trouble.
Unfortunately, the same thing was said last year around this time. Dave Dombrowski believed in his core, added only Austin Hays to the mix, and watched as the bats cratered over the final two months of the season and through four games against the Mets in the NLDS. Given Harper’s struggles, it makes more sense to add another strong bat to the middle of the lineup, especially one from the right side.
There’s danger in trading Aidan Miller for an oft-injured player like Byron Buxton, or a two-month rental like Suarez or Bregman. It’s understandable the Phillies are reluctant to deal away young players they hoped would bridge them into the years when Harper, Trea Turner and Zack Wheeler are no longer in their primes. In a perfect world, the big league Phillies would render this decision unnecessary by hitting better.
And sure, every other team in baseball has just as many flaws as the Phillies do. By most outside observers, the Phils are at least the 5th-best team in baseball. They are going to go to the playoffs. It’s a virtual guarantee.
But the 2025 season isn’t about being in first place, or winning the division, or even winning a couple playoff series. It’s about winning the World Series.
Dombrowski cannot rely on this offense and ‘pen to find the same kind of heroics and consistency that they displayed in October of 2022. Too many pitchers know the book on this lineup, and the relievers don’t have the firepower they once did. Both can, and should be, improved, by being aggressive at the deadline and making moves to give themselves the best possible chance of winning a championship this year.
They cannot waste this magical season Zack Wheeler and the rest of the rotation is giving them.