The Phillies have spent the last few months clawing their way back into the race, and with a month left before the August 3 trade deadline, they’re sitting 2.5 games behind the Atlanta Braves. That recovery from a 9-19 start has put them back in position to be taken seriously as a World Series contender.
But the roster still has some obvious holes, and one of the biggest questions hanging over July is whether Aaron Nola forces the front office’s hand.
Philadelphia already knows it needs help in a few spots. A right-handed hitting outfielder is on the list.
So is a high-leverage reliever, ideally a lefty to work alongside right-hander Jhoan Duran. And there’s also the matter of the rotation, where the Phillies need a better fifth starter after Andrew Painter was sent back to the minors following a rough beginning to his big league career.
That’s where Nola comes in.
MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki pointed out that what Nola does over the next few weeks could shape how the Phillies approach the deadline. As Zolecki put it, "Nola's performance over the next few weeks could influence how the Phillies attack the Trade Deadline," and that’s the heart of the matter.
If Nola gives them steady work in July, the Phillies can keep their focus on the other needs. If he doesn’t, starting pitching could jump to the top of the shopping list.
That would be a major shift, because the Phillies already aren’t getting enough from the back end of the rotation. Cristopher Sanchez, Zack Wheeler, and Jesus Luzardo have been strong enough to hold up the front of the staff, but the rest has been shaky enough to keep the issue alive.
Nola’s season has made that concern impossible to ignore. He’s posted a 6.04 ERA in 17 starts, with a 3-5 record and 87 strikeouts. His latest outing was especially rough: seven runs allowed in 4.1 innings in a loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
He has had a few solid starts, but the overall picture has been disappointing. That’s why his next turn, scheduled for July 5 against the Kansas City Royals, matters so much. The Phillies need him to settle in quickly and carry that into the rest of the month.
July is already a big stretch for Philadelphia. The club will host the 2026 MLB All-Star Game, and it also has a chance to overtake the Braves in the NL East.
But beyond the standings, this month may tell Dave Dombrowski exactly how aggressive he needs to be. If Nola finds it, the Phillies can chase upgrades elsewhere.
If he doesn’t, starting pitching may become the priority.
In Other News...
Braves Just Made Another Telling Move As Offensive Frustration Grows
As the Braves keep searching for a steadier offensive mix amid injuries and uneven production, they made another low-risk depth move by adding Andrew McCutchen on a minor league deal after his release from the Rangers. The veteran outfielder and designated hitter is a familiar name with a long track record, and Atlanta is evidently willing to see whether there is still something useful left in the bat as the lineup tries to settle down.
McCutchens arrival came alongside a separate roster shuffle that also brought INF Jim Jarvis back into the picture and sent INF Rowdy Tellez off the active roster. It is the kind of transaction that says plenty about where the Braves are right now: still looking for answers, still testing options, and still trying to find a combination that can ease the frustration building around the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Find One Reason For Hope In Another Costly Loss
The Braves latest trip through a rough stretch ended with an 11-5 loss to the Cardinals, their 14th defeat in 19 games, and the familiar problem areas showed up again. The bullpen was stretched thin before the game even began, with Raisel Iglesias and Dylan Dodd having pitched the previous two nights and Robert Suarez still sidelined until after the All-Star break, leaving Atlanta to piece together innings in a hurry.
Hurston Waldrep provided the one encouraging note from the night. In his second big league appearance and first start of the season, he was tagged early but settled in enough to give the Braves something to build on, even if the outing still came with an early mistake that changed the tone. For a club searching for any sign of stability, Waldreps ability to recover may have mattered more than the final score, even as the larger issues kept piling up around him. [Read more 🡒]
Braves Bullpen Shakeup Raises Another Big Question About Late Innings
The Braves kept tinkering with their bullpen mix Wednesday, activating left-hander Danny Young from the 60-day injured list and bringing back right-hander Anthony Molina as they continue to sort through the late-inning picture. Youngs return gives Atlanta another left-handed option after a long rehab stretch, while Molina is back for another look as the club tries to find steadier coverage out of the pen.
The moves came with a cost, as Ian Hamilton was designated for assignment after a rough run of recent outings, and this is his second such move of the season. Atlanta also had to clear another roster spot for Molina, a reminder that every bullpen adjustment now seems to carry a second question about who gets squeezed out next. [Read more 🡒]