The Philadelphia Phillies are the top team in baseball.
The Phillies don’t have many holes on the roster, but it doesn’t hurt to upgrade at certain positions if it makes sense to give the team a better chance heading into the playoffs.
Baseball can be a funny game. A team can be loaded with superstars, but still lose to any other team. It’s not quite like basketball and forming superteams like the 2016-19 Golden State Warriors and countless others.
The Phillies are fortunate enough to have some of the game’s best players already on the roster and just welcomed back both Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber from the IL with J.T. Realmuto not far behind. Is this team one piece away from a World Series Championship?
Here are four trade targets Dave Dombrowski should consider before the July 30 deadline:
OAK OF/DH Brent Rooker
Rooker is a name that came up in rumors the past few days, and he’s an intriguing option for the Phillies. The 29-year-old made his debut with the Minnesota Twins in 2020 and spent some time with the San Diego Padres and Kansas City Royals before finding a home in Oakland with the A’s.
He never really got consistent playing time in his career until 2023 when he was named an All-Star and finished the season with 30 home runs and 69 RBI on a 50-win A’s team. Rooker is enjoying similar success in 2024 slashing .282/.362/.544 with 18 home runs and 55 RBI.
He’s not going to impress you with his fielding, but he does have power at the plate. He primarily is used as the A’s designated hitter, but he does have some appearances in the corner outfield spots this year. Rooker is also under team control for three more years after this season.
MIA LHP Tanner Scott
The Phillies haven’t had a consistent closer so far this season. Jeff Hoffman, José Alvarado, Gregory Soto, Seranthony Domínguez and Ricardo Pinto all have saves, but nobody is the defined closer. Enter, Scott.
The left-hander has been one of the most dominant relievers in the league this year and has been recognized earning his first All-Star selection. Scott owns a 1.42 ERA with 13 saves in 15 opportunities and has only allowed two home runs so far this season.
This would be a rental option for the Phillies as Scott will be a free agent at the end of the season, but he’d take the bullpen to another level for the playoff push.
NYM OF Harrison Bader
This seems like almost a no-brainer type of deal. Bader came into the league in 2017 with the St. Louis Cardinals and has spent some time with the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds before signing a one-year $10.5 million contract with the New York Mets prior to the 2024 season.
He’s a career .246 hitter, but he’s having a solid season this year slashing .275/.316/.406 with six home runs, 32 RBI and 13 stolen bases. The 30-year-old plays center field which has been an area of weakness for the Phillies this season from an offensive perspective.
The Mets are hovering around the .500 mark and are only 0.5 games back out of the Wild Card, so there’s a chance Bader might not be available.
CHW OF Luis Robert Jr.
The thought of landing Robert Jr. feels like more of a fantasy these days, but you never know what could happen. The 26-year-old has elite talent, but he’s struggled to stay healthy in his five-year career. However, when he is healthy, he’s one of the best players in baseball.
Robert Jr. has the power and speed to be a difference maker day in and day out. The one-time All-Star is a career .274 hitter and has 85 runs and 54 stolen bases in 407 career games.
Robert Jr. signed a six-year $50 million extension with the Chicago White Sox in 2020 and is under control through the 2027 season. The asking price for a player at his age with his skill set and multiple more years of team control is high which has been reported as the deadline approaches. The Phillies would have to part ways with one of their top prospects as well as multiple other top-30 organizational prospects to land Robert Jr. in Philadelphia.
Regardless, he would be an immediate upgrade in all aspects at the center field position.
If the opportunity presents itself, Dombrowski should be all over it.
PHOTO: ClutchPoints
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