Listen, the Phillies are buyers. That’s not a hot take — that’s arithmetic. A 54-44 record, a top-five payroll, and a fan base that treats every July like it’s the eve of a crusade means Dave Dombrowski isn’t sitting on his hands. The question isn’t whether Philadelphia adds. It’s what they add, and in what order, before the August 2 deadline.
A Yahoo Sports analysis ranked the Phillies’ three most pressing needs, and the top spot isn’t close. The outfield is a wound, and it’s bleeding.
Philadelphia’s outfield ranks 28th in baseball in wRC+ at 85 and 28th in fWAR at 0.9. They’re 20th in Outs Above Average at minus-4. Translation: they can’t hit, they can’t field, and nobody in the current group is projected to get dramatically better at either.
Brandon Marsh made the All-Star team, and Derek Hill has been on the hottest streak of his career in red pinstripes. Both are mirages the Phillies can’t afford to trust. Marsh posted a .483 OPS in July, dragging his season line back toward his career norms. Hill has struck out in 23 of his 55 plate appearances as a Phillie, propped up by a .538 BABIP that defies physics. He’s a role player riding lightning.
The internal replacements have been worse. Gabriel Rincones Jr., called up from Triple-A, is hitting .171 with a .503 OPS in 74 plate appearances and profiles more like a future first baseman than an everyday right fielder. Edmundo Sosa’s .625 OPS understates his contact quality — he’s been burned by a career-low BABIP — but he grades as a plus defender at second and third while registering as a negative in left field. He belongs on the dirt. Rookie Justin Crawford owns a .658 OPS with below-average defense in center, and no other internal option has stuck.
The infield can’t carry the outfield’s dead weight, either. Trea Turner and Alec Bohm have underperformed expectations. Bryson Stott has clawed to an 86 OPS+ after a brutal start. Bryce Harper is having a good season, not an elite one. J.T. Realmuto has struggled. Getting even a league-average outfielder to replace the Rincones-Sosa platoon is, per the analysis, the bare minimum.
Need No. 2: a high-leverage setup reliever. This is the most shopable item on the list, given how many bullpen arms typically circulate at the deadline. Brad Keller’s UCL tear — confirmed by the team’s injured list — removed a key piece and lessened the need for a specific left-handed addition. Jhoan Duran is the closer, full stop, and the Phillies will need to extend him deep into October if they want to win a World Series. Jonathan Bowlan has been a revelation with a 2.84 ERA and elite swing-and-miss stuff. But behind those two, the structure gets shaky.
Orion Kerkering owns a 2.43 ERA that masks trouble underneath — a 12.7% walk rate and a poor ground-ball rate. José Alvarado’s 6.82 ERA looks catastrophic, but his underlying numbers tell a different story: a 29% strikeout rate, limited walks, and solid contact quality, all sabotaged by a .440 BABIP that is nearly impossible to sustain. The Phillies shouldn’t give up on him. But they need another arm to slot into the eighth inning so Kerkering and Alvarado can settle into roles that fit how they’re actually pitching.
Need No. 3: a fifth starter who isn’t Alan Rangel. This is the cheapest ask. The Phillies aren’t looking for someone to rescue the rotation — they just need a body. Rangel has been fine for a pitcher who shouldn’t face more than 18 batters a night, but leaning on him taxes the bullpen over time. Aaron Nola has been better across his last three starts but remains a question mark to complete six innings. With Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler, and Jesús Luzardo anchoring the front of the rotation, funneling high-leverage innings through two or three arms in October becomes manageable — but only if the back end doesn’t collapse first.
The Phillies sit 2.5 games back in the NL East and six behind the Brewers for a top-two seed. Winning the division matters, but the more realistic path runs through the wild card. There are 576 regular-season innings left. Another bulk option to absorb them isn’t a luxury. It’s survival.
Sources
Yahoo Sports — Phillies Trade Deadline Needs Power Rankings
CBS Sports — Phillies team page (Brad Keller UCL tear, roster moves)
Baseball Reference — 2025 Philadelphia Phillies