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Going after Twins corner outfielders has worked out swell for the Phillies recently. When you can double down on that strategy, you just gotta do it.

The links, the links, the links…

I thought the reaction to yesterday’s trade deadline from Phillies fans was interesting. I could see it in the live YouTube chat, I could read about it on X (formerly Twitter) or Bluesky, I could even see it in myself. After the last two playoff exits, Dave Dombrowski and these Phillies just do not get the benefit of doubt anymore. They are firmly in the Sixers Zone.

The fear is simple, the bats going quiet again. Just like when they scored four total runs in three of the final five games against Arizona in the 2023 NLCS. Just like when they scored four total runs in three of their four games against the Mets in last year’s division series. We all have seen this lineup go ice cold in October.

We have all seen this lineup go cold this season, too. Perhaps not as much as it feels sometimes, but they do go cold. So, when the big deadline move is a closer and you shop in a discount aisle for a bat, disappointment and skepticism is not the most surprising reaction.

Prior to the deadline, my hope was for the best bat possible and a competent reliever. The Phillies, as they had been signaling for weeks, flipped that formula around. Dombrowski said that was how the market played out, and maybe he was right. Jhoan Durán was one of the best relievers on the market, and unlike that wild boy A.J. Preller in San Diego, Dombrowski and co. did not gut their farm system to make that one happen.

That leaves us with Harrison Bader, who is good at defense. The headliner heading back to Minnesota is Hendry Mendez, a lottery ticket outfielder having a nice offensive season in Reading.

As Tyler put it, my initial reaction was meh. But maybe I should not feel that way? Bader is a clear upgrade on what the Phillies have in their terrible outfield, and going by just this season, it is not particularly close. Better defender than everyone not named Rojas (and closer to Rojas than the other guys), and a better hitter to boot. Bader is also a right-handed bat, which the Phillies badly needed.

That said, this is Bader’s best year at the plate by a mile since 2021. As a guy who has bounced around a bunch of teams, did Bader unlock something in Minnesota? If he could just continue his pace from this season, and stick as your everyday center fielder, I think I would be pretty happy with this move.

tl;dr: ¯_(ツ)_/¯

So, how does the outfield look? I think that depends on whether or not the Phillies consider Bader an everyday player.

Option 1: If Bader is an everyday player

For his career, Bader has the profile of a guy you would ideally platoon: .776 OPS against lefties, .681 OPS against righties. But maybe the Phillies value his defense in center, especially with Casty The Butcher next to him. Or maybe they buy his excellent numbers against righties this year: In 219 plate appearances in 2025, Bader is slashing .266/.347/.432 with seven homers against righties.

Anyway, this is a real possibility.

Option 2: If Bader and Marsh are everyday players

I like Marsh. I feel good about his plate approach, and since he came off the IL in early May, he has been legitimately good. In left field, he is a good defender. Unfortunately, it is hard to trust Marsh against lefties. But I figured I would list this option, just in case.

Option 3: Two Platoons

That is what we would have now, anyway. As anyone in my group chats will tell you, I want The Kepler Experiment to end. Sounds like that is a real possibility, too. Go let him take an everyday job on that now-terrible Twins team. Option 1 is where I think this settles, but hey, that is just a guess.

What about Justin Crawford, you may ask?

That tells me Dombrowski thinks Bader is an everyday player. If he was in a platoon with Marsh, then the Phillies absolutely are in a position to play Crawford a lot.

I really do find the whole Crawford thing fascinating. If the kid is not gonna make any major swing changes in the minors, there is nothing else for him to do there. His style of play has worked at every single level, and while I understand the skepticism of that style translating to MLB, the only thing left to do is let him sink or swing in the big leagues.

Well, it seems like the Phillies are not gonna let Crawford sink or swim. Not right away initially, even after one lower-level move to address the glaring need in the outfield. One mid-level move for a bat, one huge move for a closer. That is your Phillies’ 2025 trade deadline in a nutshell.

Was it enough? We will find out soon.

Jalen back in team drills: No, not QB1, he has been a full-go all camp.

Jalen Carter, which is good to see. From Zach’s practice notes:

SPEAKING OF WHICH, THE LAST DAY OF THE DIEHARD DEAL IS TODAY!

Scary Terry wants out: Terry McLaurin has requested a trade. I thought this was what Josh Harris’ luxury tax savings were for!

Longtime readers know that I have a lot of respect for McLaurin, who has been the pillar of consistency on both good and bad Washington teams. Five straight years of over 1000 yards! receiving I find this stalemate pretty odd, as McLaurin is probably the Commies’ second-most important player behind Jayden Daniels. And at 29 years old (he turns 30 next month), McLaurin is pretty much a spring chicken on this aging roster.

Other trade deadline thoughts: Some quick hitters…

Padres: This one was a doozy. Preller is a legit madman, I think he is amazing for the sport. The Pads acquired Mason Miller, Ryan O’Hearn and Roman Laureano. They traded… their entire farm system.

Leo De Vries is a shortstop that is generally ranked among the top-five prospects in all of baseball. To deal him for a reliever is madness, and also makes me feel better about the Phillies keeping Painter in the Durán deal.

Mets: I think the Mets did a decent job at the deadline, two bullpen arms (Tyler Rogers and his weird pitching motion, Ryan Helsley) and a slightly worse version of Bader in Cedric Mullins. Let the games begin.

Mariners: They took the opposite approach of the Phils, targeting bats (Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor) and not a lot of bullpen help.

Yankees: Acquired a bunch of guys, including two major bullpen arms in David Bednar and Camilo Doval. After that series last weekend, they sure could use some reinforcements back there.

Astros: Carlos Correa, back in town.

And the Twins traded everyone not named Joe Ryan or Byron Buxton. Fun deadline.

Phils-Tigers tonight, and all weekend. Check your local listings.

Your tentative Friday schedule at ​PHLY​:

Let's make it a good one.

Rich Hofmann
Daily Newsletter Editor
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