The Phillies are still hunting for upgrades as the Aug. 3 trade deadline approaches, and Mike Trout’s name naturally drifted into the conversation when he showed up at Tuesday’s All-Star Game at Citizens Bank Park.
Philadelphia has obvious needs. The club could use more help on the mound, especially in the bullpen, and it also needs outfield support along with a real right-handed bat. Even with the Dodgers continuing to stack wins despite their injury issues, the Phillies know they’ll need more punch if they want to match up when it counts.
So when Trout was asked about the idea of landing in Philadelphia, he didn’t exactly shut the door.
"I hear this a lot," Trout said, per CBS Sports. "I enjoy coming to Philly.
I'm an Angel, obviously. I got a no-trade clause, so it's ultimately my decision.
But, like I said, I love Philly."
That answer fit the moment. Trout, now 34 and still a center fielder for the Angels, grew up in Millville, N.J., which is just under an hour from Center City. The Philly connection has been there for years, and Bryce Harper even talked back in 2019 about trying to bring Trout to the Phillies after signing his own huge deal.
“If you don’t think I’m gonna call Mike Trout in 2020 to have him come to Philly, you’re crazy,” Harper said at the time, per MLB.com.
Trout’s comments came during a season in which he’s still producing, even if he’s not quite the same player he was at his peak. This year is his 12th All-Star selection, and he has 39 runs batted in and 18 home runs in 78 games.
For now, though, he remains with an Angels team that has gone to the playoffs only once since his MLB debut in 2011. Los Angeles is 38-59, tied for the worst record in baseball, and figures to be a seller at the deadline, though that has yet to be determined.
In Other News...
Phillies Fans Face Another Miserable Wait Before Mets Opener
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The smoke is also casting a wider shadow over Fridays MLB schedule, with other games in places like Cleveland and Chicago potentially dealing with the same conditions depending on how the wind shifts. For the Phillies, though, the immediate concern is simpler and more familiar: a night at the ballpark that may look and feel a lot different than anyone hoped when the series was first circled on the calendar. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Face A Costly Jhoan Duran Decision They Can't Dodge
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That is where the decision gets expensive in a hurry. Duran is still years away from free agency, which gives the Phillies time to weigh an extension before the market gets even more complicated, but the timing also means they are staring at a pre-free-agency negotiation rather than a simple retention move. With elite reliever contracts already setting a high bar and the broader financial landscape in baseball potentially shifting again, Philadelphia may have to decide sooner than later how much it is willing to pay to keep its ninth-inning answer in place. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Just Took A Bullpen Hit At The Worst Time
The Phillies came back from the All-Star break a little earlier than most clubs, opening the second half against the Mets in a nationally televised game with the kind of timing that can sharpen every roster move. They also chose to give Zack Wheeler and Cristopher Snchez a few extra days of rest, leaving Aaron Nola to take the ball in the opener and keeping Jess Luzardo and Alan Rangel lined up behind him as they try to keep the rotation lined up for the stretch run.
The bullpen, though, took the kind of hit teams hate to absorb this time of year. Brad Keller landed on the 15-day injured list because of a right elbow issue, and the Phillies had to turn to Seth Johnson, recalled from Triple-A Lehigh Valley, to fill the vacancy. For a club trying to bank wins while managing its arms carefully, losing a reliable relief option right as the second half begins makes the margin a little thinner. [Read more 🡒]