The Phillies are heading toward the trade deadline with a pretty clear shopping list, and the starting rotation is right there near the top.
Yes, the club still needs a right-handed bat for the outfield and a high-leverage reliever. But even with a strong top three in place, there’s another spot that could shape how far this team goes: the back end of the rotation. A dependable fifth starter could be the kind of move that nudges Philadelphia from an NL East race into something less comfortable.
That’s where the encouraging news comes in. ESPN’s Buster Olney said the market should offer “a lot of good options” for teams chasing pitching help this summer.
"... 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," Olney writes.
That matters for a Phillies team that should be able to find a fit by the August 3 trade deadline without having to empty the cupboard for a frontline arm. The names already floating around include Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, Robbie Ray, and possibly Kevin Gausman if the Toronto Blue Jays slide a bit.
And that list may only grow. Between now and the deadline, more starters should surface as realistic targets, which gives Dave Dombrowski and the front office room to work with. The Phillies are not staring at a thin market here; they should have choices.
That’s especially useful because the right-handed-hitting outfield market is described as barren. In other words, the rotation could be the easier place to improve, even with the Phillies likely facing competition from the Chicago Cubs, Atlanta Braves, Milwaukee Brewers and other contenders.
The key point is simple: Philadelphia doesn’t need to chase an ace. Joe Ryan and Tarik Skubal are not the type of targets this market requires for the Phillies. What they need is stability at the back of the rotation, and that’s the kind of arm this summer should provide in abundance.
In Other News...
Braves Quietly Turned The Montero Trade Into A Much Bigger Win
The Rafael Montero deal looked like a straightforward bullpen swap when Atlanta sent him to Detroit, but the return has given the Braves something far more useful than a quiet roster footnote. Monteros path since then has been a winding one, with a decent stretch in Detroit before he eventually landed at Triple-A with the Yankees, while Atlanta has watched the other side of the transaction turn into an unexpected spark in the infield.
What has made the move stand out is how quickly the Braves have gotten real value from a player who was not supposed to be the story. The production has been better than anyone reasonably expected, and the growing fan support around him has only added to the appeal, even if there are still reasons to wonder how long this level of offense can last. For a club always looking for useful, affordable depth, this is the kind of trade outcome that can quietly matter a lot. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Make Rotation Move That Could Reshape More Than This Series
Martn Prez is back in the Braves rotation at a time when every pitching decision feels a little heavier than usual. Atlanta reinstated the left-hander from the injured list during its series with the Padres, setting him up to start Game 3 after a several-week absence, and the move gives the club a veteran arm just as it tries to steady the back end of the staff.
To make room, Atlanta sent JR Ritchie to Triple-A Gwinnett after a brief outing in the loss to San Diego. The Braves have been juggling arms all season, and with the trade deadline creeping closer, even a routine-looking rotation shuffle carries a little more meaning than it would in May. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Fans Just Got A Final Answer On Carlos Carrasco
Carlos Carrasco has found his next stop after bouncing through the summer on the margins of the Braves pitching picture, with the veteran right-hander landing a new opportunity overseas. The move comes after a season in which Carrasco spent time with Triple-A Gwinnett and remained a familiar name for Atlanta fans tracking the clubs constant churn on the pitching staff.
The latest deal gives him a chance to pitch for a reigning champion in the stretch run, with the club making room by moving on from reliever Yacksel Rios. For Braves followers, it is another reminder of how quickly a veteran arm can move from organizational depth to a fresh start, even if the final chapter of his Atlanta story has now been written elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]