The Philadelphia Phillies desperately need to upgrade their starting rotation and bullpen this summer at the trade deadline, but the right-handed hitting outfielder need is the most important.
This offense just isn't good enough, and the Phillies really need to find a way to upgrade it at the MLB trade deadline. Unfortunately, Byron Buxton doesn't look likely to move, and there are some other outfielders that aren't likely to be traded either.
ESPN's Jeff Passan answered a fan question about the Baltimore Orioles being sellers, which brought an answer that added to the concern about the availability of .740 OPS trade target Taylor Ward this summer.
"It's a question the Phillies are asking too," Passan writes. "The answer right now: more than 2.5 games. Because that's where they are, and as of now, Baltimore isn't selling."
If the Orioles don't fall further behind than 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot, it's going to be hard to see them selling this summer based on this report from Passan.
Entering Tuesday's slate of games, the Orioles are 2.0 games out of the postseason, with games against the Detroit Tigers and, fittingly, the Phillies on tap before the August 3 deadline.
The Phillies should be rooting for the Tigers to beat the Orioles, and then hope they can beat the Orioles themselves to have a better chance of acquiring Ward this summer.
If the Phillies were to sweep the Orioles, then Ward, who would be about as good a right-handed hitting outfield trade target as they could pursue with his .740 OPS, 111 OPS+, and .386 on-base percentage, might actually be available for trade.
But, for now, there is reasonable doubt the Phillies could land Ward as the Orioles are close enough to the postseason that they probably won't sell.
The days leading up to the trade deadline are going to dictate a lot of what the Phillies will do this summer.
They could end up as aggressive buyers with Ward a top target, or they could make marginal additions and hope multiple players turn the corner by the postseason.
