MLB Insider Says Phillies Should ‘Worry' at MLB Trade Deadline
MLB Insider Says Phillies Should 'Worry' at MLB Trade Deadline originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The Philadelphia Phillies are 10 games above .500, but one MLB insider thinks the team has several holes to fill as the MLB Trade Deadline draws closer. According to ESPN's Bradford Doolittle, the Phillies are in dire need of improvements at several key spots.
Advertisement
Doolittle says fans and the team alike should "worry" about what they need at the deadline, especially with an injury to Bryce Harper and an "average" offense that he says is being carried by Harper, Trea Turner and Schwarber. Oh, and offensive firepower is not even his biggest concern.
"The position group once again rates as one of baseball's poorest defenses," Doolittle said.
The starting rotation remains the most solid component to this Phillies team, which can only carry a team so far with lackluster production outside of the starting pitchers.
Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper (3) looks on during an injury delay in the ninth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre.Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
Unfortunately for Phillies fans, defensive woes and an average offense are not Doolittle's only concerns. Still, the insider noted an ideal scenario for Philadelphia to attack the deadline.
Advertisement
"If the offense can produce consistently -- and soon, given the competitive environment in the NL -- Dave Dombrowski can focus his trade resources on upgrading the Phillies' leaky bullpen," Doolittle wrote.
But at 10 games above .500, If Dombrowski can somehow address the bullpen and what some consider one of the worst defenses in the MLB, this team still has plenty of playoff potential.
That potential will depend on if Harper can return from his wrist injury sooner rather than later. According to Paul Casella at MLB.com, it is the same injury he battled for much of last season.
Harper has now been on the 10-day injured list since Saturday, June 7. That means he can return to play as early as next week Tuesday, June 17.
Related: Phillies Urged to Pursue Orioles' Slugger Amid Bryce Harper Injury
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Yankees Facing Difficult Ben Rice Decision After Giancarlo Stanton Update
Yankees Facing Difficult Ben Rice Decision After Giancarlo Stanton Update originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The longer that All-Star designated hitter Giancarlo Stanton remained on the injured list, the longer that young slugger Ben Rice got to stay in the New York Yankees' lineup. Rice's run as the Yankees' starting DH is nearing its final weeks, however. Stanton is finally nearing a return to the majors after a prolonged battle with tennis elbow in both arms; the five-time All-Star begins a rehab assignment Tuesday at Double-A Somerset. While Rice has been an impressive breakout star in his first full season, not even a propensity for mammoth home runs stands to keep him in the lineup. Rice enters Tuesday hitting .241 with 12 homers, 25 RBI, and a .825 OPS through 218 plate appearances. Rice ranks 34th among all qualified hitters in OPS, and his .497 slugging percentage is 24th in the league. Most teams would kill for production like that, but most teams aren't the Yankees. Stanton's contract all but guarantees him a spot as the Yankees' DH, and Paul Goldschmidt is enjoying an All-Star-caliber season at first base. That doesn't leave many at-bats for Rice, especially because the Yankees remain committed to Austin Wells at catcher. SNY's Andy Martino recently dismissed the idea the Yankees should demote Rice to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre so he can get regular at-bats. Martino instead proposed the Yankees work to play Stanton, Rice, and Goldschmidt at least two out of every three games. Martino also reported that the Yankees do not intend to play Rice anywhere but at catcher, first base, or designated hitter. "Rice is closer to gracing the cover of 'MLB: The Show' than he is to earning a trip to Scranton," Martino wrote. Either way, the Yankees find themselves in a difficult situation, one where there are too many hitters with too few at-bats to go around. It's better than the alternative, as teams like the Colorado Rockies and Miami Marlins know all too well. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
26 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark's Effect on Pacers Amid NBA Finals is Turning Heads
Caitlin Clark's Effect on Pacers Amid NBA Finals is Turning Heads originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Pacers continue to defy their doubters, as they took Game 3 of the NBA Finals by a final score of 116-107 over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Advertisement The Thunder were heavily favored to win the world championship coming into this series, but the Pacers now lead the series 2-1. The Hoosier State is stoked about the very real possibility of the Larry O'Brien Trophy landing there for the first time ever. This is the Pacers' second trip to the NBA Finals and their first since 2000, and fans can almost start to taste the champagne. Indiana Fever stars Caitlin Clark and Aliyah BostonKyle Terada-Imagn Images One of their biggest fans is Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark. She was on hand at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday for Game 3 along with several of her teammates, and she may be a good luck charm for the Pacers. When she has been in attendance this season, the Pacers have been 8-0. Fans on X reacted to this interesting statistic. Advertisement "That's a cool stat," one fan wrote. "She needs to attend 2 more games," another fan chimed in. "Or maybe it's the spirit of Jim Ursay," a third fan wrote, referring to former Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay, who died a few weeks ago. "CC Effect," a fourth user wrote. "The @NBA saw what the @NFL did with @taylorswift13 and said, 'Hey we can do that with @CaitlinClark22!!' 😂😂😂 #conspiracytheory" a fifth user mused. "Thank you @CaitlinClark22," another fan added. During the regular season, the Pacers finished with the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. Many were counting them out as the playoffs started, even though they reached the Eastern Conference finals last year. Advertisement But they knocked out the Cleveland Cavaliers, who finished first with 64 wins, in the second round, and they shoved past the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals. Throughout this postseason, they have gotten the job done not only with their potent fast break but also by overcoming late deficits and getting some late-game heroics from Tyrese Haliburton. The Pacers can put a stranglehold on this championship series when Game 4 takes place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday. Related: Caitlin Clark's Appearance at NBA Finals Draws Indiana Fever Reaction This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Decades-old record broken at NYS boys golf tournament: How Section V golfers scored
While Victor star Brody Burgess earned Section V's lone medal, Section III's Division I commit Jackson Saroney broke a 49-year-old record at the New York State Public High School Athletic Association Boys Golf Championships, which concluded Monday at Mill Creek Golf Club in Churchville. Saroney, a Jamesville-DeWitt senior who's committed to Penn State, struck gold in the individual golf tournament after shooting an astounding 10-under-par 132 — six less strokes than the next best score. NYSPHSAA's previous 36-hole record was 134 set by Section IV's Joey Sindelar in 1976 before he joined the PGA Tour. Advertisement Saroney also helped Section III win the team championship with a plus-38. This was Saroney's fourth appearance in the NYSPHSAA golf tournament. Saroney's previous best finish was fourth in 2023, when Burgess was the runner-up after coming back to force a playoff hole. Burgess tied for fourth in 2024 and placed eighth in 2022. "Section III, we haven't won in quite a while. It's been a long, long time. It feel nice to get a team win. This tournament has been circled on my calendar ever since I've been in ninth grade," Saroney said. Here's how local golfers performed in the NYSPHSAA tournament: NYS state boys golf tournament: Section V scores at Mill Creek Golf Club in Churchville Section V's 2025 boys golf state qualifiers: Brody Burgess (Victor), Zach Jerome (Fairport), Austin Erdmann (McQuaid), Sam Eichas (Spencerport), Timmy Spitz (Pittsford Sutherland), Sam Schultz (Brockport), Jack Reichard (Penfield), Zayden Patel (Rush-Henrietta). Brody Burgess (Victor) plus-5, 10th place. Timmy Spitz (Pittsford Sutherland) plus-7. Zach Jerome (Fairport) plus-12. Sam Eichas (Spencerport) plus-13. Ryan Thompson (Addison) plus-19. Ace Erdmann (McQuaid) plus-20. Zayden Patel (Rush-Henrietta) plus-22. Jack Reichard (Penfield) plus-27. Sam Schultz (Brockport) plus-32. Brody Burgess of Victor hits out of the tall grass on hole four during the boys state golf championship held at Mill Creek Golf Club in Churchville on June 9, 2025 Team: Section V plus-98, eighth place. NYS girls golf tournament: Section V scores at Wild Wood Country Club in Henrietta Individuals Champion: Nina Choe (Section I's Ursuline) 6-under-par 138. Destiny Jodoin (Victor) plus-7, tied for sixth. Harper Dittman (Fairport) plus-18. Jennie Piao (Harley Allendale Columbia) plus-19. Reagan Paolini (Churchville/Hilton) plus-26. Emma Sweazy (Rush-Henrietta) plus-29. Jacey Neylon (Churchville/HIlton) plus-31. Allie Sherman (Spencerport) plus-32. Emily Zigrossi (Spencerport) plus-37. Lylah HerrNeckar (Victor) plus-37. Victor's Destiny Jodoin is the AGR girl's golfer of the year. Team tournament Champion: Scarsdale (Section I) plus-106; Victor plus-164, fourth place. Advertisement Section team tournamnt Champion: Section II plus-68; Section V plus-160, fourth place. — Marquel Slaughter is a journalist for the Democrat and Chronicle, specializing in high school sports. He won numerous Associated Press and NYNPA awards for his work in print and broadcasting throughout his 15-year career as a reporter. Follow him @MarquelSports and X and Instagram for exclusive interviews, photos and videos. You can email him at mslaughter1@ This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: NYS boys golf tournament record broken: How Section V golfers scored
