As Phillies end All-Star break, key issues Dave Dombrowski must address
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PHILADELPHIA − Now that the pomp and circumstance from All-Star week is over, it's time for the Phillies and the rest of MLB to get back to work.
After all, the Phillies still have 75 games left and a playoff spot to secure. The Phillies, after a brutal first month of the season that led to manager Rob Thomson's firing, find themselves in the thick of the playoff chase.
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At 54-43, they're two games behind the Atlanta Braves for first place in the NL East. If the season ended today, they would hold the second of three NL wildcard spots, just one-half game behind the Cubs for the top wildcard spot.
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But so much can happen between now and then. The Phillies resume playing on July 16 by opening a three-game series (no game July 17) at home against the Mets. That's followed by home series against the Dodgers and Yankees.
Soon after comes the Aug. 3 MLB trade deadline.
"Definitely, it was a good little reset," said Brandon Marsh, one of six Phillies who played in the All Star Game on July 14. "It didn't feel forced. It felt like it was free out there. It mattered, but it didn't. It was just a lot of fun, and I know everyone hit the reset button."
The trade deadline, of course, is where Phillies president Dave Dombrowski has left the Phillies just short of a championship over the past four seasons. It's also where Dombrowski has his toughest challenge this season.
While the Phillies have gone 45-24 since April 28, tied for the best record in the major leagues with the Brewers, it's clear that they're not complete.
Their three main deficiencies are a fourth (or fifth) starting pitcher, a trusted left-handed reliever, and a right-handed, power hitting outfielder.
As much as the Phillies would love to trade for the Angels center fielder Mike Trout and the Tigers ace Tarik Skubal, they likely don't have the resources in their farm system to trade for them, nor the financial ability to keep them.
Trout, who turns 35 next month, has 4 ½ years left on his 14-year, $426.5 million contract. Skubal, meanwhile, is eligible for free agency after the season, and it could cost about as much as Trout makes in a new contract to keep him beyond this season.
So, as in most years at the trade deadline, Dombrowski might have to work on the margins. It worked well enough last season when he traded for closer Jhoan Duran and outfielder Harrison Bader ... until it didn't, as the Phillies still lost in the NLDS to the Dodgers.
Then they started this season 9-19, leading to Thomson's dismissal.
"Starting off the way we did, we put ourselves in a hole," designated hitter Kyle Schwarber said. "We had adversity. We lose our manager. Then to be where we are now, we should be proud. The journey’s not done. There’s still a lot more work to be had ... I think the biggest thing is staying our course and knowing what we’re capable of.
"Obviously, that doesn’t mean that it’s guaranteed. That doesn’t mean that we cash it in."
Here is how the Phillies can cash it in during the second "half" of the season:
Trade for this starting pitcher
As we mentioned above, it would be easy to wave a magic wand and trade for Trout and Skubal without giving up anything. But that's not how it works. The Phillies, however, can make a significant addition without having to give up their top prospect(s).
Someone like the Royals' Michael Wacha, who pitched a scoreless third inning for the American League in the All Star Game, could serve as a fourth starter behind two All Stars in Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo and another who should have been in Zack Wheeler.
Yes, Wacha is 35 years old. But he has a 3.77 ERA and he's consistent. His ERA has been between 3.22 and 3.86 in each season from 2022 through this one.
As a fourth starter, Wacha could push Aaron Nola to the No. 5 slot and deepen the rotation. In the postseason, the Phillies wouldn't need a fourth starter until the NLCS ... if they get that far.
More Derek Hill, and more from these 2
You might say, what about that right-handed bat? Ideally, that would have been top prospect Aidan Miller, who likely would have been called up by now if he didn't have back issues in spring training that ended up requiring a procedure. Miller still hasn't swung a bat, so it's not likely that he'll contribute this season.
And without giving up top prospects for someone like Trout, Byron Buxton, or even Orioles Taylor Ward, the Phillies could use Derek Hill even more. The Phillies acquired Hill in a minor trade with the White Sox in June, and he has hit .327 in 52 at-bats with the Phillies, with 3 homers and 3 stolen bases.
But really, the Phillies need Trea Turner to play like he did last season, when he led the NL with a .304 average. And they need third baseman Alec Bohm to hit like he did in 2023 and 2024 when he drove in 97 runs.
Straighten out the pen
Sure, the Phillies could use a left-handed reliever after Jose Alvarado has pitched to a 6.82 ERA while Tanner Banks is on the IL with a 7.14 ERA.
But they don't just grow on trees. It might come down to Brad Keller, the Phillies' free agent acquisition last winter, getting healthy and pitching to expectations as the setup man for Duran. Plus, a return to form for Alvarado.
The Phillies have relied on Orion Kerkering as a high-leverage reliever and Jonathan Bowlan has been impressive lately. But that's a slippery slope. A fourth starter like Wacha can better preserve the bullpen and allow the high-leverage relievers to be more effective. Or at least not wear out by September.
Can Harper, Schwarber stay elite?
Of course, the Phillies won't go anywhere if Schwarber and Bryce Harper don't hit like they have in the first half.
Schwarber came into the All Star break leading the majors with 32 homers. Harper, called out last fall by Dombrowski for not being "elite," has mostly been that in the first half. He has 20 homers and an .862 OPS. Marsh is still hitting above .300 and he's shown that he can play against lefties.
All three were deserving All Stars. And all three need to keep playing that way for the Phillies to reach October, something Marsh said he wants.
"More than anything," Marsh said. "I'll do just about anything to get there. I know the guys that are in our clubhouse will say the same thing. We put ourselves in a better position right before the break. We started a little slow. But we're back in the fight. That's all we can ask for."
Now it's up to Dombrowski to do his part.
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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: As Phillies end All-Star break, key issues Dave Dombrowski must address