After what can only be described as a shaky start to the season, the Philadelphia Phillies are now firmly in the playoff hunt. In fact, it would be a bit of a surprise if they were to miss out on the playoffs, but they still do have plenty of work to do.
Led by President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski, the Phillies are expected to make a few major moves to capitalize on this window. But the question remains, where will Dombrowski focus this season?
Naming the Biggest Needs for the Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies have a few obvious strengths to lean on as they make their playoff push this season. The top-end of the rotation is elite, as is closer Jhoan Duran. Then, the lefties in the Phillies lineup have continued to produce, especially Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Brandon Marsh.
At the same time, there are some weak spots, too. It seems as though every right-handed bat in the lineup is having a down season for the Phillies. That includes Trea Turner and Alec Bohm. Worse, there amid injuries, there are some major gaps to figure out in the outfield for the Phillies.
Writing for The Athletic, Phillies beat writer Charlotte Varnes broke down some of those needs for Philadelphia to address at the Trade Deadline, starting with the outfield.
“It would be unsurprising if the Phillies upgraded in the outfield — maybe in right, where they have played a mix of Gabriel Rincones Jr., Brandon Marsh and Derek Hill after Adolis Garcia’s season-ending lat injury, Varnes wrote. “And, while Alan Rangel is getting some run as the Phillies’ fifth starter, don’t rule out the acquisition of a swingman or fifth starter type.”
As Varnes noted, there are also some concerns for the Phillies in the back-end of the rotation. For as good as the top-end has been, Andrew Painter had to be demoted to Triple-A while Aaron Nola has struggled with consistency. Because of that, it won’t be surprising to see Dombrowski make a move for some depth.
One interesting spot to keep an eye on is the bullpen. Dombrowski typically has moved for help there during his time with the Phillies. However, it doesn’t appear to be a major need in 2026.
“Last season, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski had perhaps his best deadline with the Phillies, acquiring closer Jhoan Duran, along with center fielder Harrison Bader, who played two of the best months of his career in Philadelphia. The Phillies have recently sought bullpen help at the deadline, adding Tanner Banks and Carlos Estévez in 2024 and Duran in 2025, but may buck the trend this year given their strong depth,” Varnes wrote.
The Phillies Have Been Connected to Multiple Stars
Given those needs, it shouldn’t be a surprise that the Philadelphia Phillies have consistently been connected to some major stars around MLB.
The most notable of those is likely Tarik Skubal. The back-to-back AL Cy Young winner, Skubal is no back-of-the-rotation piece. He’s an elite arm heading into free agency this offseason. So, what would be interesting is trying to find the right price for a rental talent like that.
The Phillies have also been connected to Matt Chapman, the right-handed third baseman for the San Francisco Giants. Currently playing on a $151 million contract, he’s locked up for the long-term, which might be nice as Alec Bohm heads into free agency this offseason.
For now, those are just rumors based on who looks like they’ll be available at the Trade Deadline. Plenty of other players are expected to be available as well, and Dombrowski will just have to find a way to take advantage of that.
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