The Phillies are headed into the trade deadline with a shopping list that isn’t getting any shorter, and the front office has some real sorting to do. A late-inning bullpen arm sits at the top of the priority list, but the lineup and rotation both need attention too.
Philadelphia could use starting pitching depth as it tries to close the gap on the Atlanta Braves in the National League East. The club has gotten nothing from Aaron Nola and from its No. 5 spot, which leaves another hole Dave Dombrowski has to address.
On top of that, the Phillies are looking for a right-handed bat to help even out the lineup and give them more against left-handed pitching. If the answer is a rental rather than a long-term commitment, Matt Gelb of The Athletic named two names that fit the bill: Lane Thomas of the Kansas City Royals and Tyrone Taylor of the New York Mets.
Taylor Ward of the Baltimore Orioles also fits the kind of outfielder Philadelphia has chased before, in the mold of Austin Hays and Harrison Bader. But he is expected to draw plenty of interest and would cost far more than Thomas or Taylor. With the state of the farm system, the Phillies need to be hunting for value if they can find it.
Thomas is a familiar name for Philadelphia. Gelb noted the Phillies have shown interest in him before, and they know him from his time with the Washington Nationals. His stint with the Cleveland Guardians was rough - he posted a -0.8 bWAR in 92 games - but he has rebounded with Kansas City.
In 105 at-bats, Thomas has put up a .267/.366/.419 line against left-handed pitching with three home runs and seven doubles. He also brings the kind of defensive flexibility that matters this time of year, since he can handle all three outfield spots. That would give the Phillies another option to spell either Brandon Marsh or Justin Crawford, both left-handed hitters, when a southpaw is on the mound.
Taylor brings a similar defensive package, but with a different offensive profile. He doesn’t get on base as often as Thomas, yet the power is louder. Against lefties, Taylor has a .286/.297/.556 slash line in 63 at-bats, with four home runs and five doubles.
He also made his presence felt in the first series of the second half against Philadelphia, going 3-for-6 with a home run, a double and a walk. Like Thomas, he can cover all three outfield positions, which only adds to his appeal.
A trade with a division rival would come with complications, but the Mets can still offer the kind of help the Phillies need. If New York really does move pieces in a fire sale, Philadelphia looks like one of the teams best positioned to take advantage.
In Other News...
Mets May Have Finally Found A Real Answer At First Base
The Mets have spent much of the season trying to stabilize first base, and the latest trade chatter with the Cubs adds a more interesting option to the mix. In the deal involving David Peterson and Cole Mathis, Chicago would be sending back a young bat who has been forcing his way onto the radar, giving New York a potential answer at a spot that has been too easy to overlook and too hard to fill.
For the Mets, the appeal is obvious: a controllable hitter with enough offensive punch to matter if the organization decides the fit is real. The Cubs, meanwhile, are weighing their own roster needs and the possibility of adding left-handed relief help, which keeps the framework of the deal fluid even as the first-base angle makes the most sense for New Yorks long-term picture. [Read more 🡒]
This Unheralded Mets Prospect Is Forcing His Way Onto The Radar
The Mets have found an unusual name worth tracking in Triple-A, and it comes from a route few prospects take. Signed in March out of the independent leagues after going undrafted out of Louisville, the 24-year-old outfielder has turned himself into one of the more productive bats in the system, pairing power with enough speed to make him stand out in a crowded minor league picture.
His line in Triple-A has been strong enough to force a second look, with a .275/.363/.545 slash line, 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases. He also leads all Mets minor leaguers in RBIs and has kept the strikeouts at a manageable level, which matters for a player who is older than many of the names around him and still not considered a top prospect, even as his production keeps building a case. [Read more 🡒]
Mets Already Have One Costly Problem Getting Harder To Escape
Bo Bichettes fit in Queens has already become one of those roster questions that can linger well beyond the current season. The infielder is in the middle of a three-year Mets contract, and the structure of the deal gives him player opt-outs after the 2026 and 2027 seasons, which leaves the club with a tricky piece to manage if it ever wants to reshape the roster around him.
The on-field production has only made the situation more complicated. Bichette is hitting .253 with a .670 OPS this season, a step down from the standard he established earlier in his career, and that kind of dip can make any trade conversation harder to navigate. For the Mets, the issue is not just whether they want to keep him, but whether the market will ever line up in a way that gives them a realistic exit. [Read more 🡒]