Phillies notes: A close encounter with a potential trade target, plus OF, bullpen thoughts

New York Times

3 days ago

CHICAGO — The Boeing 757 jet that was supposed to carry the Phillies from New York to Chicago in plenty of time for a fine Sunday night dinner was stuck in Atlanta because of bad weather. So, for six hours, the Phillies were stranded at Yankee Stadium. They played cards. They tried to distract the many children along for the ride on the annual family trip. All they had was time.
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It's unusual for the club to send its top two executives on the same trip, but Dave Dombrowski and Preston Mattingly are with the team. So they had more time Sunday afternoon to solicit opinions about the upcoming trade deadline. Then, they had time Monday night to watch a potential target, the enigmatic but talented outfielder Luis Robert Jr. He homered and made a diving catch in center during a 6-2 Chicago White Sox win.
There is less time now to make decisions before Thursday's deadline. The Phillies, according to major-league sources, continue to prioritize a higher-end bullpen addition. They have expressed interest in various hitters, including Robert. But, while there's been increased trade activity across the league, the Phillies might not find a match until closer to the deadline.
Is there a way to upgrade by Thursday?
'I would think so,' Rob Thomson said.
The Phillies manager has shared his opinions in meetings with the executives.
'I trust other people on that type of stuff,' Thomson said. 'They're the evaluators. I think we're all on the same page.'
It's easy to identify the flaws — a missing swing-and-miss reliever for the end of games and a righty power bat. Securing those will require certain sacrifices. There is more demand than supply.
The Phillies have held firm on not wanting to surrender one of their better prospects for a rental player; that stance might have to be altered. Mick Abel has drawn interest from teams, but not as the main piece for a controllable player. He could land the Phillies a good rental, although Abel would qualify as the best prospect Dombrowski has traded for a rental in five years as the Phillies' president of baseball operations. It is a seller's market, and everyone knows Dombrowski wants to deal.
He might rather spend the prospect capital on a reliever, but even that would require wading into uncomfortable territory. Shortstop Aidan Miller, a consensus top 50 prospect, has drawn interest. He could be the centerpiece of a major deal.
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Robert, 27, has played in only 13 games this month. He's had nagging injuries. He has underperformed for two seasons. Contending clubs have viewed him as a buy-low candidate, although the White Sox have larger aspirations.
He has improved his performance in July, perhaps with the hopes of landing in a better situation. His homer, a rare one to come off a Cristopher Sánchez changeup, was the decisive hit Monday night. He hit a hard lineout, then struck out twice. He made the nice grab in center but also allowed Bryce Harper to take an extra base.
Atta way, Harp! pic.twitter.com/p3LGE20c7M
— Philadelphia Phillies (@Phillies) July 29, 2025
He would probably be an upgrade for the Phillies, who scouted the White Sox over the weekend.
'He's strong,' Thomson said. 'He made a heck of a play in the outfield. He's a strong guy who can really run.'
'He's a good player,' Sánchez said.
As the market starts to take shape, the lack of righty-hitting outfielders is jarring. The Los Angeles Angels have put a huge price on Taylor Ward, who bashed his 25th homer Monday night. Even if the Phillies liked someone such as the free-swinging but powerful Adolis García, the Texas Rangers now appear to be buyers after a recent hot streak.
It is why Eugenio Suárez, the slugging third baseman for the Arizona Diamondbacks, has drawn so much interest. He is the best available bat.
He is an inelegant fit for the Phillies, and it's unclear how much interest they have shown. Other contenders have corner infield vacancies Suárez could fill. The Phillies would have to move Kyle Schwarber to left field full-time or have Suárez play third with Alec Bohm at first and Harper in left field.
Harper has said he's willing to return to the outfield if needed. Schwarber played left field in Sunday's game at Yankee Stadium. There has not been a conversation about doing it more.
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'I'm open to it,' Schwarber said last week. 'I haven't been asked.'
Thomson said he would be comfortable with a scenario that had Schwarber in left field during the season's final two months.
'Oh, very,' Thomson said. 'I mean, we did that in '22. It worked out pretty well, and I think he's moving better now than he did back then.'
Desperation could lead to unconventional solutions. In the last 30 years, three teams have carried three outfielders (minimum 250 plate appearances) with a negative WAR, according to Baseball Reference. They were the 2014 Chicago Cubs, 2012 Houston Astros and 2006 Florida Marlins. The current Phillies would join them.
Though the offense has clicked in July, it's not because of the outfield. Phillies outfielders have a .566 OPS this month. That ranks 29th in baseball. It's a .645 OPS since June 1, 28th in baseball. The outfield is 27th in baseball since May 1 with a .666 OPS.
They had a chance to make noise in the sixth inning Monday, down two runs, when Chicago summoned a righty reliever who has a career .932 OPS against lefty hitters to face Max Kepler as the potential tying run. Jordan Leasure needed six pitches, but he coaxed a weak flyout from Kepler.
The Phillies again asked Max Lazar to inherit a sticky situation. He delivered by stranding runners on the corners in the seventh inning. Lazar has inherited 13 runners this season, and none of them has scored. (He permitted a placed runner to score in extra innings last week, but it's not an earned run.)
Lazar has a 2.96 ERA in 21 appearances. His fastball is sitting 94-95 mph in recent outings. He touched 97 mph last week.
It's become clear there is a role for Lazar in the post-deadline bullpen, although he'd bump down the depth chart. The Phillies are carrying three other rookies — Daniel Robert, Seth Johnson and Alan Rangel — who have pitched in lopsided or losing situations. The bullpen construction is flexible, even when factoring in the eventual August additions of David Robertson and José Alvarado.
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Robertson, who pitched over the weekend at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, is still on track to join the Phillies on Aug. 5. His fastball was 91-92 mph in that initial outing, a tick better than what the Phillies saw during his showcase for scouts. He averaged 93 mph last season while throwing a career-high 72 innings for Texas.
(Photo of Luis Robert Jr. making a catch in the fourth inning: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)