Phillies Answer to Center Field Woes Is Knocking on Door of Major League Promotion

The Philadelphia Phillies have a few flaws on their roster that the front office would love to address ahead of the MLB trade deadline.

A lot of focus has been put on the bullpen, and rightfully so. It has been a struggle for manager Rob Thomson to find reliable arms throughout the season with several players struggling to find a groove.

The losses of Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez have been difficult to overcome. Add in closer Jose Alvarado, who was one of the few reliable options, currently serving an 80-game suspension and things are in disarray.

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Finding a late-inning relief pitcher in the coming weeks on the trade market is a must, but it isn’t the only need the team has.

The Phillies could also use a jolt for their offense in the outfield.

They aren’t getting the kind of production they had hoped for, especially from the center field position, with the current group of players on pace to make some ugly franchise history.

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There are going to be a few options available that could help Philadelphia out on the grass. A blockbuster trade with the Baltimore Orioles for Cedric Mullins and Felix Bautista would be a dream come true, but the price would be exorbitant.

Dave Dombrowski has never been shy about making a splash, but the team may not be willing to trade away some of their best assets and top prospects ahead of the deadline this year.

If they cannot find an outfielder they like on the market, they can address the weakness with an internal move.

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Top prospect Justin Crawford looks ready for a promotion to the Big Leagues with how productive he has been with Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Currently the No. 3 ranked prospect in the team’s farm system, he and No. 1 ranked prospect, right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter, are in a race to be the next to make their Major League debut.

“The son of former MLB All-Star Carl Crawford, he has the tools to be a table-setter offensively and a standout defender in center field,” wrote Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report.

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He is putting up some eye-popping numbers with a .342/.410/.434 slash line. Crawford will never be a big home run guy, but he has 16 extra-base hits and 26 RBI to go along with 24 stolen bases.

Right now, the Phillies are receiving no impact from their center fielders, whether it be at the plate or defensively.

Crawford would change that immediately, with his speed and defense providng a jolt to a team that could use an infusion of youthfulness.

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