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At one point this season, the Philadelphia Phillies looked like they were on the path to being sellers at the Trade Deadline. That isn’t the case anymore, as the Phillies catapulted into the NL playoff hunt under interim manager Don Mattingly.
The Phillies now sit at 56-46 on the season. That’s 3.0 games behind the first-place Atlanta Braves. It’s also currently good for the second Wild Card slot, but with a long season to go, the Phillies do need help.
For some time, there have been concerns about the lack of right-handed power in the lineup. In particular, in the outfield. However, starting pitching is also a concern for the Phillies, and ESPN recently connected them with several available starters.
ESPN Connects the Philadelphia Phillies to Starting Pitching Help
With just about two weeks to go before the Trade Deadline, ESPN’s Buster Olney and Jeff Passan teamed up to put out a report on what intel they were hearing and rumors from around the league. Within that, Olney shared that he thinks starting pitching is going to be the best available position.
Olney would also note that the Phillies are among the teams that will be aggressively approaching the need for a starting pitcher. However, they’ll have to fend off competition from NL East rival Atlanta.
“The starting pitchers, undoubtedly,” Olney wrote. “So many clubs are looking for a right-handed hitter, with very few apparent options, but the teams most aggressively in need of a starting pitcher — we’re looking at you, Cubs, Phillies and Braves — should have a lot of good options. Among the declared unloaders, there are Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes and Robbie Ray, with the possibility that many others join them.”
More pitchers than the ones Olney named are expected to be on the move. However, it’s the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants who have been the most open that they’re ready to be major sellers, which makes Peralta, Holmes, and Ray obvious back-end of the rotation candidates. Of course, the Mets may be hesitant to trade with a division rival.
The back-end of the rotation really is where the Phillies have the most need. Their top two starters, Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Sanchez, are both aces in the Cy Young race. There’s some drop off to Jesus Luzardo, but he’s a solid No. 3 or 4 starter. That’s when things get concerning. Aaron Nola has a 5.68 ERA after putting together a 6.01 ERA in 2025. He’s no longer someone the Phillies can trust. Then, top prospect Andrew Painter was demoted for his poor play, and it’s been difficult to find a No. 4, let alone a No. 5 starter for the Phillies.
In a playoff series, the top of the rotation would be good enough to get by. However, the Phillies need to get to the playoffs. Without better pitching depth, that’s only going to get harder to do down the home stretch.
Phillies Connected to Right-Handed Bats
There’s no doubt that the Philadelphia Phillies need help at starting pitching. However, that right-handed bat need is also very real, and they’ve also been connected to several interesting trade candidates.
The first of those bats is Bo Bichette. Another Met, he’s having a terrible season and is considered a candidate to opt out of his deal at the end of the year. New York wants to move him.
Bichette does have a no-trade clause. However, a prior relationship with Don Mattingly could mean that he’s open to going to the Phillies. The Mets may not want to send him to Philadelphia, but he could sign there anyway. This way, the Mets get something for him.
On top of that, Mike Trout is still rumored as a candidate to go back to his hometown Phillies. Again, he has a full no-trade clause and seems happy with the Los Angeles Angels. So, for now, that seems like a pipe dream.
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