The Philadelphia Phillies could make a big splash in the trade market ahead of the August 3 MLB Trade Deadline.
Philadelphia has a couple of needs, and once again, third base is a need, as the Phillies could look to replace Alec Bohm. Replacing Bohm has been mentioned for years, but ahead of this year’s deadline, MLB insider Robert Murray of FanSided connected the Phillies to San Francisco Giants third baseman Matt Chapman.
“Best fit: Matt Chapman, San Francisco Giants. Dave Dombrowski is always a name to watch closely at the trade deadline,” Murray wrote. “When he trades, he often thinks big, and that could very well be the case with Philadelphia at 41-35 and only seven games back of the Atlanta Braves in the National League East.
“Skubal makes sense for them — Dombrowski loves pitching — but adding another bat, perhaps Alec Bohm’s future replacement, makes sense as the Phillies also look for another outfielder and starting pitching.”
Chapman is in the second year of his six-year, $151 million deal with the Giants, so the Phillies would be taking on a ton of money. However, he would vastly improve the defense as he’s one of the top defensive third basemen in baseball.
Chapman is hitting .243 with 7 home runs and 41 RBIs this season. He’s a five-time Gold Glove Award winner and a one-time All-Star.
Giants ‘Hopeful’ to Trade Chapman
With San Francisco being one of the worst teams in baseball, the Giants are expected to be the sellers ahead of the deadline.
The Giants have been linked to trading the likes of Luis Arraez and Robbie Ray. Yet, MLB insider Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Giants are hopeful to trade Chapman.
“The San Francisco Giants are hopeful of moving third baseman Matt Chapman – who is owed $100 million over the next four years and has a full no-trade clause – along with starter Robbie Ray and Luis Arraez,” Nightengale wrote.
Chapman is an elite-level third baseman, but with how much salary is left, it’s unclear if San Francisco will be able to trade him.
Phillies Under Pressure at Deadline
Philadelphia started slow, but has been one of the best teams in baseball as of late.
So, ahead of the deadline, ESPN’s Buster Olney named Phillies exec Dave Dombrowski one of the most execs under pressure.
“The Phillies are a big-market team with a lot of resources, so there can be healthy debate about whether Philadelphia is limited by a window of opportunity, with a number of stars in their 30s, such as Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, J.T. Realmuto, Trea Turner and Zack Wheeler. But with Cristopher Sanchez dominating and Brandon Marsh playing well, the Phillies have a really good team this season — and should be looking to take advantage of that,” Olney wrote.
“Dombrowski made a big move last summer in paying a relatively high price for closer Jhoan Duran, and now Dombrowski’s professional peers are speculating about whether he might be the most apt executive to make another major play. Dombrowski has constructed dominant rotations in the past, and a “Big Three” in the postseason of Sanchez, Wheeler and Skubal could look pretty good in October.”
The Phillies are 42-36.
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