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For now, the Philadelphia Phillies are in win-now mode. That's why they re-signed Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto during the offseason, and that's why they are buyers ahead of the MLB trade deadline. They are trying to make a playoff push.
Are the Phillies good enough to win the World Series? As currently constructed, absolutely not. With a couple of deadline additions? Eh.
I think most can see that this team — which entered Saturday night's matchup against the Baltimore Orioles with a minus-17 run differential — isn't very good. Yes, Philadelphia is strong enough to contend for a playoff spot in this expanded postseason era, but that doesn't mean the ballclub is anything special.
The Phillies need help in their lineup, their starting rotation and their bullpen before Monday's 6 p.m. cutoff. Basically, they require assistance everywhere. Some have even suggested firing Don Mattingly ... but canning two managers in one season probably isn't a recipe for success.
To be quite frank, I'm not sure there's anything Philadelphia can do before the deadline expires that is going to make it a serious championship contender. Not with what's said to be available, anyway.
So, it begs the question: what if the Phillies miss the playoffs? What will Dave Dombrowski decide to do next winter?
Assuming Dombrowski keeps his job for another year, you would have to think that blowing things up would be on his radar, and in that scenario, a potential Schwarber trade would become very appealing.
Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images.
Schwarber signed a five-year, $150 million contract with Philadelphia over the winter. The deal runs through 2030 with no opt outs, and after this season, his average annual salary balloons to $33 million.
At 33 years old, that could make things complicated ... if it weren't for the fact that Schwarber still rakes with the best of them.
Schwarber entered Saturday slashing .251/.367/.543 with 33 home runs and 62 RBI on the season. Last year, he smashed 56 homers while driving in 132 runs. He has reached over 40 long balls three times over the last four campaigns, and barring injury, he will almost certainly do it again here in 2026.
The fact that Schwarber is still bashing baseballs out of stadiums should absolutely be enough for rival teams to express interest. Sure, he can't play the field, but his bat is so valuable that other ballclubs would still likely surrender a lot to net him.
The Phillies need to rebuild their farm system, which is among baseball's worst. Trading Schwarber during the offseason would be a great way to go about doing that (while clearing some payroll to boot).
Should Philadelphia fail to qualify for the postseason this year, then the Phils should absolutely field offers on both Schwarber and Bryce Harper.
The NL East is only getting tougher. The Atlanta Braves are perpetually good. The Miami Marlins are coming. The Washington Nationals are incredibly talented, too. Yes, the New York Mets are a punchline ... but at least they spend money.
Perhaps the only way out of the woods for an aging, declining Phillies team would be putting some of their top players up for sale.
Are we getting ahead of ourselves here? Maybe, but you can't help but feel that this path is almost inevitable in Philly.
Continue reading...
Are the Phillies good enough to win the World Series? As currently constructed, absolutely not. With a couple of deadline additions? Eh.
I think most can see that this team — which entered Saturday night's matchup against the Baltimore Orioles with a minus-17 run differential — isn't very good. Yes, Philadelphia is strong enough to contend for a playoff spot in this expanded postseason era, but that doesn't mean the ballclub is anything special.
The Phillies need help in their lineup, their starting rotation and their bullpen before Monday's 6 p.m. cutoff. Basically, they require assistance everywhere. Some have even suggested firing Don Mattingly ... but canning two managers in one season probably isn't a recipe for success.
To be quite frank, I'm not sure there's anything Philadelphia can do before the deadline expires that is going to make it a serious championship contender. Not with what's said to be available, anyway.
So, it begs the question: what if the Phillies miss the playoffs? What will Dave Dombrowski decide to do next winter?
Assuming Dombrowski keeps his job for another year, you would have to think that blowing things up would be on his radar, and in that scenario, a potential Schwarber trade would become very appealing.
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Philadelphia Phillies designated hitter Kyle Schwarber. Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images.
Schwarber signed a five-year, $150 million contract with Philadelphia over the winter. The deal runs through 2030 with no opt outs, and after this season, his average annual salary balloons to $33 million.
At 33 years old, that could make things complicated ... if it weren't for the fact that Schwarber still rakes with the best of them.
Schwarber entered Saturday slashing .251/.367/.543 with 33 home runs and 62 RBI on the season. Last year, he smashed 56 homers while driving in 132 runs. He has reached over 40 long balls three times over the last four campaigns, and barring injury, he will almost certainly do it again here in 2026.
The fact that Schwarber is still bashing baseballs out of stadiums should absolutely be enough for rival teams to express interest. Sure, he can't play the field, but his bat is so valuable that other ballclubs would still likely surrender a lot to net him.
The Phillies need to rebuild their farm system, which is among baseball's worst. Trading Schwarber during the offseason would be a great way to go about doing that (while clearing some payroll to boot).
Should Philadelphia fail to qualify for the postseason this year, then the Phils should absolutely field offers on both Schwarber and Bryce Harper.
The NL East is only getting tougher. The Atlanta Braves are perpetually good. The Miami Marlins are coming. The Washington Nationals are incredibly talented, too. Yes, the New York Mets are a punchline ... but at least they spend money.
Perhaps the only way out of the woods for an aging, declining Phillies team would be putting some of their top players up for sale.
Are we getting ahead of ourselves here? Maybe, but you can't help but feel that this path is almost inevitable in Philly.
Continue reading...
