The Philadelphia Phillies are in a dog fight with the New York Mets in a tight National League East divisional race. Philadelphia is 1.5 games back, but with the trade deadline just two days away, the Phillies have a chance to make a big splash that can pay dividends over the last two months of the season.
The two biggest needs for this Philly roster, which is one of the best in baseball, are relief pitching help and an outfielder with offensive prowess. New reports came out today that the Los Angeles Angels may become sellers, and they have a pair of outfielders that would be a great addition for any club.
Phillies Should Make Calls on Angels’ Outfielders
Taylor Ward is sneakily having one of the better power seasons in all of baseball this season, and the Philadelphia Phillies have a desperate need in either center field or left field. Ward has 25 home runs this season and is slugging .491. His average is low at .232, but with Philadelphia already having a prolific lineup, Ward wouldn’t have that much pressure to hit much higher than that, and his offense is an immediate upgrade.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported today that both Ward and his teammate, Jo Adell, are drawing interest in the trade market.
Steve Adams of MLBtraderumors.com was also quick to the news, and had this to say about Ward’s offensive ability:
“As for the 31-year-old Ward, he’s the more established and more expensive option of the two. He’s controlled one less year, through the end of the 2026 season, and is earning $7.825MM in 2025. Another former first-rounder (No. 25 in 2015), Ward has been a steadily productive corner outfield bat since his 2022 breakout. He’s batting .232/.308/.491 on the season (117 wRC+) but, like Adell, has really turned things on after a sluggish start.”
This would be the perfect addition for the Phillies, and if they aren’t already, it would give them a greater chance to win the NL Pennant. Philadelphia could really go with either option. Adell probably plays a better defensive outfield, but the Phillies wouldn’t necessarily be making a trade for an outfielder’s defensive ability.
Ward has served as the primary left fielder for the Los Angeles Angels this season, but has also played right field, so the Phillies would have options as to where he could play. This would leave Nick Castellanos as a primary DH.
This Deal Hinges on Angels’ Playoff Beliefs
The Los Angeles Angels are certainly against the odds, but only 4.5 games out of a Wild Card spot in a shaky American League. This type of trade idea likely hinges on whether or not they have the belief that they can make a run in August or September.
Regardless, the Philadelphia Phillies should certainly be one of the teams that make calls on Ward if they are serious about addressing their needs. With a loaded farm system that Dave Dombrowski reportedly seems open to using as trade chips, it would be a perfect add before the final two months of the season.
Phillies Trade Idea Acquires 25 Home Run Outfielder