New York Yankees & Philadelphia Phillies continue to stay hot as they battle for Texas Rangers Veteran
Phillies reportedly targeting outfielders on trade market as they battle with Yankees on the sensational starter from Texas Rangers. However, The Veteran will be replaced.
Ben Verlander brings you his updated MLB Power Rankings and the New York Yankees & Philadelphia Phillies headline this week’s Power Rankings.
So it isn’t surprising to hear that Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is getting a feel for the outfield market, with just under two months until the July 30 trade deadline. The question is, what will happen to Castellanos, Rojas and Marsh is the Phillies make an upgrade?
That likely depends on the extent to which the Phillies add, assuming they do ultimately acquire an outfielder.
They could trade for Lane Thomas of the Washington Nationals, for example, and have him replace Marsh in the lineup against left-handed pitchers, while also giving manager Rob Thomson someone who could play left field if the team decides to use Marsh in center field over Rojas. That would be more of a minor addition, essentially aimed at upgrading over Cristian Pache.
But with a core of players largely in their early 30s and the best record in baseball, the window is never going to be more open for the Phillies than it is now, so this doesn’t seem like the summer to just tweak around the edges. So perhaps a more major addition is in store.
From here, it’s hard to imagine anything drastic being done with Castellanos during the season. For now, the Phillies just have to hope he heats up. And while the .706 OPS he posted in May isn’t impressive, it’s certainly better than the .501 mark he had in April.
What they could do from there is look to acquire a player like Tyler O’Neill of the Boston Red Sox, with the thinking that he’ll be the full-time left fielder, while Marsh and Rojas platoon in center field depending upon who is pitching for the other team. O’Neill is a two-time Gold Glove Award winner that has 11 home runs and an .843 OPS this season. The only issue is he’s struggled to stay healthy, and the 28-year-old is currently on the injured list with right knee inflammation. But as a rental, the asking price likely wouldn’t be overwhelming for O’Neill.
The all-in move would be something like what was discussed on the latest episode of The Phillies Show with Ruben Amaro Jr., Jim Salisbury and Todd Zolecki — trading for a controllable outfielder like Luis Robert of the Chicago White Sox.
Robert has missed most of this season with a right hip flexor strain, but is currently on a rehab assignment and would give the Phillies a massive upgrade in center field if he can prove that he’s healthy. A year ago, Robert hit .264 with 38 home runs, 80 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, six defensive runs saved and a 4.9 WAR. On a team full of stars, Robert would give the Phillies yet another. And in his case, he’s still only 26 years old. He’s also signed for just $15 million next season, with affordable $20 million club options available for 2026 and 2027.
