Adding This Type of Player Would Be 'Successful Deadline' for Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are on the clock when it comes to trade deadline deals.

The Seattle Mariners were the first to strike, acquiring slugging first baseman Josh Naylor from the Arizona Diamondbacks in a move that could spark a flurry of deals that come before July 31 passes.

Who the Phillies go after isn't clear, but the two areas they desperately need to upgrade is their relief staff and outfielding unit.

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Max Kepler has continued to be a disaster for Philadelphia, and at this point in time, it would be shocking to see him still on the roster when August begins. Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas provide value, but it's been more limited to matchup-specific at-bats for Marsh and defensive substitutes and base running for Rojas.

How much Dave Dombrowski wants to put his finger on the scale when it comes to adding a difference-making outfielder isn't clear, with the fanbase hoping he is able to pull of a blockbuster for Steven Kwan to transform this group going forward.

Something needs to happen regarding the outfield, and adding a power hitter alongside a high-end bullpen arm is something Jeff Passan of ESPN believes would be a success for Philadelphia.

"If they can also add a right-handed-hitting outfielder with power -- Adolis Garcia is in the mix, and Luis Robert Jr. would play, too -- it will be a successful deadline for a team whose starting pitching is good enough to carry it deep into October," he wrote.

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At this point in time, it's unclear if the Texas Rangers are going to sell.

They have turned their season around and are right in the mix for an AL Wild Card spot, so trading away Adolis Garcia doesn't look to be in the cards regardless of his prolonged struggles since 2023.

Luis Robert Jr. is a different story.

The Chicago White Sox seem to know they messed up by not trading him at last year's deadline or this past winter, so they appear willing to move him at all costs this time around.

That's a risk for the Phillies, though.

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He has not looked like a premier center field since his breakout in 2023, with his OPS+ numbers being under the league average in back-to-back seasons.

But Robert's upside is higher than what Marsh, Rojas and Kepler bring, so he could be someone the Phillies go after now that the price point to acquire him is much lower than it was in the past.

It's hard to disagree with Passan's assessment about what would be a successful deadline.

Philadelphia needs help in the bullpen and outfield. So if they are able to address both of those issues, then that could be enough to get them back to the World Series and win it with their elite starting rotation.

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