MIAMI — The days leading up to the trade deadline can be a whirlwind. Acquisition costs can suddenly rise and drop. Players become available as quickly as they are whisked off the board. The Phillies’ trade deadline last season was a great example. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski acquired Noah Syndergaard less than 30 minutes before the trade deadline.
This is all to say that things change quickly this time of year. Even though, as of the publication of this story, the Phillies have yet to make any trades, there is still plenty of time left before the 6 p.m. Tuesday deadline. Their top priority remains a right-handed-hitting corner outfielder who can hit for power. They are willing to listen on relievers but are not necessarily shopping for them. They feel good about their starting rotation, but will keep an eye out (though it is worth noting that prices are steep).
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Two teams that would make sense as trade partners are the Cardinals and the Mets. Both are sellers and have available outfielders with a capacity to hit for power.
Here are a few names worth watching — on the Cardinals, Mets, and other teams.
Tyler O’Neill, Cardinals
O’Neill makes sense for the Phillies for a number of reasons. He’s a right-handed, Gold Glove-caliber left fielder who can hit for power when he’s healthy. The operative word there is “healthy.” O’Neill has struggled to stay on the field over his last few seasons, most recently missing time with a low back strain. But since he was activated off the injured list on July 20, he has hit .324/.439/.441 with a weight runs created plus (wRC+) of 151, or 51% above league average. He’s hitting .254/.329/.365 in 140 plate appearances this season with two home runs and a hard-hit rate of 45.2%.
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The question here is whether the Phillies would offer enough to get him. The Cardinals are reportedly reluctant to deal O’Neill now because his recent injured-list stints could hurt his value. But they are in the market for controllable pitching. The Phillies have pitching prospects. Dombrowski said he’s “never looking to trade top prospects,” but he wouldn’t say no to the right deal.
Whether a trade for O’Neill is the right deal remains to be seen.
Dylan Carlson, Cardinals
Carlson is a player the Cardinals are more willing to trade simply because of the return they’d get. Carlson is rumored to be drawing interest from the Orioles and the Yankees. He is a 24-year-old, switch-hitting center fielder who won’t be eligible for free agency until 2027. The knock on Carlson, from the Phillies’ perspective, is that he wouldn’t provide the same offense as some of the other players on this list. With Johan Rojas, Brandon Marsh, and, eventually, Cristian Pache in the outfield, defense is less of a priority.
But Marsh was seen as a defense-first player when the Phillies acquired him at the trade deadline last season, and hitting coach Kevin Long helped transform him into a .282/.365/.456 hitter this season. So, never say never. Carlson is hitting .230/.328/.345 this season with five home runs.
Tommy Pham, Mets
Pham, a right-handed-hitting outfielder, has seen somewhat of an offensive resurgence with the Mets. His slugging percentage has jumped from .374 in 2022 to .472 in 2023. He’s walking more than he did last year, and striking out less. Pham, 35, is also a free agent after the season, which would make it less risky for the Mets to part with him. His name has been mentioned as a possibility for the Phillies in the past week.
Adam Duvall, Red Sox
The Phillies were reportedly scouting Duvall on Saturday, which makes sense given Duvall’s power numbers of late. He is slugging .542 in 153 at-bats with the Red Sox, and has hit nine home runs. The 34-year-old Duvall, who is only signed through this season, is a right-handed hitter and can play first base.
Teoscar Hernández, Mariners
Mariners president Jerry Dipoto has been somewhat coy about Hernández, a righty-hitting right fielder. When asked if Hernández could be the first player to move, Dipoto said he didn’t know the answer to that, adding that the Mariners are “still very much a foot in both camps,” buyers and sellers. Hernández, 30, is in the midst of a down year. He is striking out at a clip of 32% and has hit .238/.288/.408, but he has power (he posted a .524 slugging percentage with Toronto in 2021).
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He hits well against lefties, too. Hernandez is batting .296 against left-handers in 88 at-bats this season (compared to .223 against righties through 319 at-bats). The Phillies have discussed him as a potential fit, but it will come down to acquisition cost — and whether the Mariners are indeed willing to part ways with Hernandez.
