The Philadelphia Phillies had a resurgence in the second half of May, going on a nine-game winning streak and winning 11 out of 12 games.
Unfortunately, they ended the month on a low note, losing three straight games and that streak has carried into June.
The Phillies were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers and are now heading into a series with the red-hot Toronto Blue Jays, who have won five games in a row.
This is an important series for Philadelphia to get back on track, as some of their weaknesses were exposed against the Brewers.
Offensive inconsistency has plagued the team throughout 2025. There are several holes in their lineup, with left field, center field, third base, catcher and second base all producing OPS+ numbers below the league average of 100.
The Phillies could dip into the farm system for some answers, promoting someone such as center fielder Justin Crawford.
He has been playing well in Triple-A and at the very least would provide the team with elite defensive production. His speed would be a valuable asset as well.
The bar is low to clear for production at the plate with Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas owning OPS+ numbers of 81 and 80, respectively.
Or, Philadelphia could dip into their farm system and build a trade package to acquire a bona fide upgrade for their lineup.
If that is the route they choose to take, Aidan Miller is the best trade asset they possess.
A first-round pick in the 2023 MLB draft, he has the kind of bat skills that will play at the Major League level, with some big time power.
The biggest question when it comes to Miller is what position he will play. If he can remain at shortstop, it will provide the most value. Being moved to third base or second would drastically change his outlook, value wise.
Right now, he is handling shortstop, making his value rather high as the team’s No. 1 ranked prospect.
The Phillies haven’t shown a willingness to include him in trade talks to this point, but with their window to contend open right now, Dave Dombrowski could get aggressive looking to make a deal.
Miller could be the center piece of a trade package to bring in an established high-level producer. If the Blue Jays begin to falter, maybe Philadelphia makes a run at Bo Bichette, but only if they can lock him into a long-term deal.
The Phillies will not be trading Miller for a rental or someone without an established track record. Their top prospect will only be on the table for a blockbuster deal, which may never materalize ahead of the deadline.
Philadelphia looks best positioned to improve on the fringes, adding a bullpen arm or two and taking a swing on an Austin Hays-caliber player as they tried ahead of the 2024 deadline.
A relatively deep farm system would provide some ammunition to pull off a deal of that caliber.
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