Dave Dombrowski made some moves that clearly help the Phillies, but the deadline still landed far short of what this roster needed. Philadelphia added a batting-title machine, a veteran lefty relief arm, an outfield depth piece, and a couple of lottery-ticket bullpen options.
That’s not nothing. It just isn’t enough.
The headline move was the deal for Luis Arraez and Caleb Kilian from the San Francisco Giants, with Ramon Marquez and Marty Gair heading back the other way. It was the kind of swing the Phillies had to consider because the offense has been leaning too hard on Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber.
Brandon Marsh’s second-half slide has only made the problem louder. Arraez, a three-time batting champion, gives them a table-setter who can lengthen the lineup in a way almost nobody else on the market could.
Kilian also brings value as a breakout 29-year-old reliever who could work his way into high-leverage innings if this keeps up.
The cost, though, was real. Marquez was a tough name to part with after the 20-year-old exploded for a 1.68 ERA in 59 innings across two minor league levels and started drawing top-100 buzz.
Gair hasn’t done much beyond middling results in the low minors, but he still profiles as a possible middle relief arm down the line. Even with that price, Arraez was the rare bat who could make an immediate difference, and in a closing window, that matters.
Philadelphia’s best value move may have been the one that cost the least: Brooks Raley from the New York Mets for John Spikerman and Luke Gabrysh. The Phillies had been hunting for a left-handed reliever all year, and the need was obvious.
José Alvarado has fallen apart, Tim Mayza has run out of steam, and Kyle Backhus hasn’t been up to the job. That has left the late innings awkward and the bridge to closer Jhoan Duran shaky.
Raley fits right in as the top lefty setup option for interim manager Don Mattingly. At 38, he’s in the middle of a career year, throwing 41 ⅓ innings with a 1.96 ERA, 40 strikeouts, and just 15 walks.
The return was light enough that it hardly felt like the Mets had leverage. Spikerman is a speed-and-defense fourth outfielder type, while Gabrysh, a St.
Joe’s product, is more of a local-flavor depth piece after struggling in High-A.
The Phillies also took a swing on Colby Thomas from the Athletics for Seth Johnson, a move that looks more like a roster shuffle than a difference-maker. Thomas brings speed and a strong glove, but the bat has been the issue.
In 104 career games, he’s hit just .214/.252/.376. There is some reason to keep dreaming, though, because his Triple-A track record across three seasons is much stronger at .285/.360/.546.
With three minor league option years remaining, the Phillies can move him around as needed.
Johnson’s run in Philadelphia was basically over. The former first-round pick has a 5.51 ERA in 16 big league appearances this season and a 7.18 lifetime mark.
The stuff has flashed at times, but the results never followed. Swapping him out for an outfield depth option was the right call.
Then there was the small bullpen dart throw on Manuel Colon, who came over from the Royals for Nolan Hoffman. Hoffman, who is almost 29, has a decent 3.76 ERA in eight minor league seasons but only four major league appearances.
Colon is just 19 and has already been hit hard in his first stateside season, posting a 5.83 ERA between rookie ball and Low-A. That’s the definition of organizational depth, with a sliver of upside if they can unlock something.
Taken individually, none of those moves is hard to defend. That’s the frustrating part.
The Phillies did add, and they did improve. But the deadline was about more than just patching a few leaks.
Philadelphia still needed another outfielder, ideally a right-handed hitter, and more help in the rotation behind the top names. Instead, Taylor Ward went to the Seattle Mariners for a bag of balls, and pitchers like Robbie Ray and Kevin Gausman went for prices that were manageable, if not cheap.
The Phillies watched those names disappear while staying mostly on the sidelines.
Arraez helps, no question. He gives the lineup another quality bat at the top and forces some moving pieces elsewhere, with Bryson Stott shifting to third base and Alec Bohm stuck at first.
But the lineup still has too many weak spots, and the rotation still carries too much baggage. The Phillies are better today than they were yesterday.
They’re just not close to complete.
That’s the heart of the grade. Dombrowski didn’t botch the deadline with bad moves.
He simply didn’t do enough of the right ones. And with the Braves, Cubs, and Dodgers all doing more to separate themselves, the Phillies are still looking up.
In Other News...
A's Just Made A Deadline Move Fans Will Want To Watch
The Phillies added another name to the system on MLB trade deadline day, making a move with Oakland that fits their longer-range thinking more than an immediate fix. In the swap, Philadelphia sent reliever Seth Johnson to the Athletics and brought back Colby Thomas, a 25-year-old right-handed outfielder whose minor-league track record has been much more encouraging than his early major-league results.
For a club trying to keep one eye on the present and another on the future, Thomas is the kind of depth piece worth monitoring as the season unfolds. He has enough offensive upside to keep on the radar, and the fact that he remains under club control for years to come gives the Phillies some breathing room if he develops into more than a name in the system. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Just Made A Roster Bet Fans Can Already Feel
The Phillies are again choosing flexibility over splash, and this time the move comes with a clear defensive ripple across the roster. With Daulton Varsho reportedly nearing a deal to Houston for Spencer Arrighetti pending medical review, Philadelphia went in a different direction and adjusted things internally, a reminder that the club is still willing to let its own pieces define the shape of the lineup rather than chase an external fix.
Luis Arraez moving to second base and Bryce Harper shifting to the outfield is the kind of shuffle that can look minor on paper and still change the feel of a team in a hurry. It also says plenty about how the Phillies are weighing fit versus outside help, especially with Varsho's offense having slipped from where it had been in prior seasons. [Read more 🡒]