With the Philadelphia Phillies off to one of their best starts in franchise history, all eyes were on President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski and the front office to see what moves would be made ahead of the July 31 MLB trade deadline.
Dombrowski warned fans early that there would be no “star” move. He stressed that the team had its core in place — which includes Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto — and needed to improve around the margins.
With that in place, the most obvious upgrades for the Phillies were in the outfield and bullpen. Dombrowski upgraded both.
The Phillies first trade was for Los Angeles Angels closer Carlos Estevez. Estevez has long been a target for the Phillies, and they finally got their guy this deadline. He will assume the closer responsibilities for the Phillies, allowing manager Rob Thomson to deploy relievers such as Jeff Hoffman and Orion Kerkering in the 7th and 8th inning.
The Phillies next move was for Baltimore Orioles OF Austin Hays. Hays has predominantly played in left field but can be serviceable both in center and right field, as well. He will play every day to begin his Phillies tenure, according to Thomson, with Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas splitting time in CF. The Phillies traded longtime reliever Seranthony Dominguez for Hays, a surprising move given the state of the bullpen. Dominguez had struggled this year, however, and Dombrwoski thought it was time to move on.
The Phillies final moves were to swap out a pair of lefty relievers. They acquired LHP Tanner Banks from the Chicago White Sox for prospects and then dealt their own reliever, Gregory Soto, to the Orioles. Dombrowski made it clear he would not have dealt Soto without the Banks deal being made first, which shows what the team’s priorities were. Soto was acquired last season from the Tigers for OF Matt Vierling and 2B Nick Maton, but has failed to meet expectations. The Phillies acquired prospect capital and made what they believe is an upgrade in the bullpen, which seems like smart dealing from Dombrowski and Co.
Overall, the Phillies did a lot to upgrade their team and make a strong postseason push this season. Even with no big-name deals done, they made much needed additions to their lineup and bullpen which should prove useful come October.