Might the resurgent Philadelphia Phillies explore the outfield market leading up to the Aug. 3 trade deadline?
That’s the obvious question to ask after the Phillies and outfielder Adolis García were hit with some bad news on Friday. The club placed García on the 60-day injured list with a torn right lat muscle. At the same time, the Phillies put outfielder Steward Berroa on the paternity list and recalled outfielder Gabriel Rincones Jr. from Triple-A. As well, outfielder Derek Hill, whom the Phillies acquired from the White Sox earlier this week, has reported to the club.
On a numbers level, the loss of García isn’t a crippling one. This season, he’s batted just .195/.270/.329 (63 OPS+) with seven home runs in 67 games and poor underlying marks at the batted-ball level. That said, the loss of García does introduce an element of uncertainty in the Philly outfield, and the near-term solution — a Rincones Jr.-Hill platoon arrangement, probably — doesn’t exactly inspire much confidence. With García’s uncertain timeline, the Phillies may need to think about external help.
Now for that “resurgent” part noted above. As recently as April 26, the Phillies were 10 games under .500, which, coming off back-to-back National League East titles, qualified them as one of Major League Baseball’s most disappointing squads at the time. The Phils fired manager Rob Thomson and replaced him with Don Mattingly on an interim basis, and then the wins followed. Under Mattingly, the Phillies have gone a sizzling 28-12, and that puts them at 37-31 going into the weekend road series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
That overall mark is good enough for the second wild card position in the NL, and that means the Phils are back in contending mode. At the same time, they’re lugging around a minus-14 run differential. That, plus the outfield void, means this is no time for the status quo as the deadline begins to creep into view. Lead decision-maker Dave Dombrowski is famously an aggressive, win-now sort, and he’s keenly aware that you can squint and see the Phillies’ title window beginning to close.
That brings us to the hypothetical of the moment — that the Phillies will swing big leading up to the deadline and try to land a needle-moving outfielder to address the deficit in right that truthfully was in place long before García went down with his injury. It’s too soon and the wild card standings too compressed to know who’s exactly a seller yet, but we can hazard some educated guesses on that front.
Now let’s look at a handful of (entirely theoretical) outfield possibilities for the Phils. Onward …
1. Mike Trout, Angels
Ah, yes, the White Whale of Philly. The New Jersey native and Eagles rooter of renown also happens to be a three-time MVP and a future Hall of Famer. Look, this almost certainly isn’t going to happen, as the Angels haven’t suggested they’re willing to trade Trout after all these years, and Trout, 34, hasn’t suggested he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause in order to allow something to happen. The default assumption has to be that Trout, who’s been a part of the Angels organization since they drafted him roughly 17 years ago, isn’t getting traded. That said, he’d be made to order for the Phillies, and that’s laying aside his status as a sorta-kinda hometown player. Trout’s enjoyed a resurgent season at the plate in 2026, and he’s backed it up with excellent batted-ball data. Yes, he’s signed through 2030, but the Phillies aren’t averse to investing in the on-field product and taking on long-term commitments.
2. Taylor Ward, Orioles
The 32-year-old Ward is on a one-year deal in Baltimore, which makes him a rental. He also boasts a .410 on-base percentage at this writing, and since he first became a full-timer in 2022, he’s got an OPS+ of 118. Ward’s power numbers have fallen off the cliff in 2026, but that lofty OBP would be most welcome in the Philly lineup. That’s especially the case, considering the Phils currently rank 28th in OBP. Less inspiring than Trout? Yes, but Ward would also be a much more realistic target with no salary obligations beyond the current season.
3. Lars Nootbaar, Cardinals
Nootbaar’s off to a scorching start after his return from bilateral heel surgery. That condition almost certainly dragged down his numbers last season, and he’s been in peak form and then some since coming back. Will the Cardinals part with the popular fly-catcher? Coming into the season, he seemed a sure thing to be moved, but the surprising Cards (37-29) are in the top wild card position in the NL, and Nootbaar’s return helped them lengthen what had been a badly top-heavy lineup. Maybe if prospect Joshua Báez continues thumping at Triple-A, the Cardinals will consider parting with Nootbaar. However, “Noot” is under team control through the 2027 season, so president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom could also table trade talks until the offseason if he decides the current roster shouldn’t be messed with.
4. Seiya Suzuki, Cubs
The Cubs (35-34) were built to contend, and it’s entirely possible they find their expected level in the weeks to come. It also bears repeating that having a third wild card spot in each league significantly lowers the bar for contention. If, however, they decide to part with the 31-year-old Suzuki, then he could be a fit in Philly. This season, Suzuki has a 116 OPS+ with 10 homers in 55 games, and for his MLB career, he’s got an OPS+ of 128 across parts of five seasons on the North Side of Chicago. Like Nootbaar above, Suzuki’s not eligible for free agency until after next season.
5. Mickey Moniak, Rockies
Yes, it’s old friend Mickey Moniak, whom the Phillies tabbed with the top overall pick back in 2016. Moniak, now 28, has found himself with the Rockies this season, as he’s batting a robust .280/.335/.607 in 164 plate appearances with time spent at all three outfield positions. Yes, Coors Field helps the case, but park-adjust his OPS, and it’s still 46% better than the league average. He’s got plus bat speed and a knack for barreling the ball. As well, Moniak has become elite at pulling the ball in the air, which is the surest path to production at the plate. He’s another on the list who’s under team control through the 2027 season. On another level, the Rockies are one of the few teams that can be said to be surefire sellers at the deadline.
Exhaustive list? Probably not, but if the Phillies want to make a splash in the outfield, then one of these names is probably the most fetching target — assuming, of course, any of them are actually available.
;)
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