The Philadelphia Phillies may want to swing a trade for this former first-round pick.
The Philadelphia Phillies are in clear need of offensive assistance before the MLB trade deadline, and most specifically, they need help in their outfield.
We've been over this countless times before. Adolis Garcia posted a .599 OPS before going down for the season with a shoulder injury. Rookie Justin Crawford has struggled in center field. Brandon Marsh has fallen off a cliff since his scintillating start.
It would be a major surprise if the Phillies didn't swing a significant trade for an outfielder before Aug. 3, even if the pickings are relatively slim.
But one target has emerged as a potential option for Philadelphia: San Francisco Giants slugger Heliot Ramos.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today has reported that the Giants are making Ramos available to teams, so the Phillies may want to take a stab at trying to acquire him.
A former first-round pick, Ramos has not exactly lived up to expectations in San Francisco. He is slashing a pedestrian .262/.296/.441 with nine home runs and 31 RBI over 270 plate appearances this season, and he has never been a good defender.
San Francisco Giants outfielder Heliot Ramos. Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images.But if we're being honest, his .738 OPS is better than anything Philadelphia has to offer outside of Marsh this season, and Marsh has been a ghost in July.
Ramos is under club control through 2029, but based on the fact that he is a 0.6 WAR player this year and topped out at 2.3 WAR in 2024, the Giants' asking price should not be astronomically high for him.
The 26-year-old entered the big leagues with San Francisco in 2022, but didn't begin earning significant playing time until his third season when he slashed .269/.322/.469 with 22 homers and 72 RBI, making an All-Star appearance in the process.
Ramos seemed primed to break out after such a strong showing in his first full campaign, but since then, the Puerto Rican native has actually regressed, posting a .728 OPS last year before his very average display here in 2026.
But again, he's a passable bat, and that's really what the Phillies need right now.
Philadelphia can always try to complete a blockbuster deal for Byron Buxton or Mike Trout, but that just doesn't seem very realistic.
Guys like Ramos are a more probable scenario for Philly, and it would not be the least bit surprising to see Dave Dombrowski place a call to the Bay Area this week.
