Phillies Deadline Day Special

The day we all have been waiting for has finally come: deadline day.

The day where teams make franchise altering decisions - some for the better, some for the worse. But it's very rare a team acquires an impact player and regrets what they gave up in the process.

Sure, if you're the Mets trading away Pete Crow-Armstrong for a Javier Baez rental in 2021 - a season where the Mets didn't even make the playoffs, finishing 8 games below .500 - then you wish you could have that one back. But that's not the position the Phillies are in. They're not going to give up a future All-Star for a guy who isn't going to be a gamechanger.

Today, on deadline day, the Phillies will have to make a decision - do they want to play it safe? Or do they want to go all-in?

They've already proved they have no interest in playing it conservative, trading away two top prospects for closer Jhoan Duran. But Eugenio Suarez is gone. The Mariners traded for him overnight, and even pitchers and lesser names are beginning to fly off the market in trades, such as Shane Bieber (Toronto), Mason Miller (potentially San Diego, soon), Steven Matz (Boston), Ramon Urias (Houston), and others.

Let's take a look at the most recent Phillies rumors.

The St. Louis Cardinals

The Cardinals have three players the Phillies are reportedly interested in: All-Star swiss army knife Brendan Donovan, OF/1B Alec Burleson, and OF Lars Nootbaar. In Donovan's four year career, he has played j every position on the diamond except catcher and centerfield. He's primarily a second baseman, but a guy that can play all over is a dangerous weapon for any ballclub. Not to mention, the left-handed batter has had a strong season offensively, hitting .285 with a .774 OPS to go along with 9 HR and 42 RBI. Donovan has also doubled 24 times, which would tie him with Bryce Harper for the Phillies lead.

Alec Burleson has also had a strong season, batting .287 with an impressive .809 OPS, 14 homers and 48 RBI. This has been the best season of the 26-year-old's career. He plays corner outfield or first base for STL, though he is a poor defender, as he holds a -4 Fielding Run Value (nowhere near Nick Castellanos' -12, which is the worst in all of baseball).

Lars Nootbaar is the least attractive option of the trio. He's currently injured, as he's been sidelined with a rib injury since July 12. He has never played more than 120 games in his career, due to frequent injuries, and this season he's hitting just .227. He's seen a power surge this season (he's up to 12 home runs already, while his career high is 14), but I'm not sure an oft-injured, left-handed, mediocre at-best bat is what the Phillies need in left field, right now.

Donovan would be the best addition for the Phillies. He hits for a high average, plays all over the field, and is under contract through 2027. It'll likely cost you, but you have to keep in mind Donovan will now be part of the core of this roster. Burleson would be the cheaper option - he's not as good as Donovan and I'm sure his value would reflect that. I'd be comfortable walking away from the deadline with Duran and Donovan as your big additions. If it's Burleson, I'd be a bit underwhelmed. And if it's Nootbaar? I'd begin to question Dave Dombrowski's leadership.

Luis Robert

The latest on Luis Robert is that the White Sox are seeking a return package of "an MLB guy and two prospects." I'm still yet to see the allure of Luis Robert. I haven't seen anyone explain what he brings to the table. I'm aware that he hits left-handed pitching well, so he can platoon and play against lefties. But an MLB player and two prospects for a platoon? On top of that, the MLB player will probably be Brandon Marsh. Now we're left with Robert against lefties and Rojas - who can't hit, period - against righties? You still have an outfield problem.

If it were at a discount, I could get on board with a Luis Robert trade. I'd be willing to concede the left-handed pitching point. But the problem remains that he is constantly injured, has been benched before for not hustling, can't hit righties, and strikes out a ton. He does not feel like the guy who puts the Phillies over the hump.

Steven Kwan

As the days have gone on, it's become more and more likely that Steven Kwan will be dealt by today's 6pm deadline. The Guardians have begun their fire sale, shipping off Shane Bieber overnight, and their focus now moves to finding an acceptable suitor for their All-Star left fielder. The Padres have been linked to him as a continuation of their decision to go all-in, acquiring closer Mason Miller from the A's this morning. The Mets - who have already added some reinforcements in their bullpen - also have interest in Kwan. The Dodgers have also expressed interest, unsurprisingly, and you, of course, have the Phillies. Though, the latest report is the Guardians will need to be "blown away" by an offer. Jim Bowden of The Athletic didn't report specifics, but explained that Cleveland would need to feel that "they won the deal outright."

Essentially, Cleveland will only trade him if they can rip off the other team. That tells me he's going to be a Met, because the Mets love getting ripped off. This is where Dave Dombrowksi has to close his eyes and rely on the brain that has won him 2 World Series rings throughout his front office career. He needs to measure the benefits and drawbacks of this potential move. You'll give up a lot, but it won't matter if Kwan can help them win a World Series. But will he? That's the most important question. If Dave Dombrowski believes the addition of Steven Kwan can win the Phillies the World Series, then he'll pay whatever price necessary. If not, he won't. It's as simple as that.

The Other Guys & the Internal Upgrade

The other guys the Phillies have been linked to include: OF Ramon Laureano (Baltimore), OF Davis Schneider (Toronto), and OF Dane Myers (Miami). Laureano has put together a strong season, hitting .290 with an .884 OPS - one of the Orioles' best players this season, no doubt. Therefore, the Orioles would be wise to find a desperate team who is willing to overpay for him. If I'm Baltimore, I'm holding onto him until we're right up against that 6pm deadline and I'll wait for a GM to come begging for him. He has a club option for next year, so it's not like all would be lost if they held onto him. Let's hope Baltimore doesn't leverage themselves in that way, if the Phillies find themselves in need of Laureano's services.

Davis Schneider and Dane Myers are clear downgrades from Laureano. I could only see the Phillies adding them as supplementary moves, if they've already acquired an impact bat. I do not expect - for one second - that Schneider or Myers would be the most notable bat they bring in. But, then again...

The Internal Upgrade: Justin Crawford. Crawford is the Phillies 21-year-old outfielder who is slashing .326/.409/.428 with 31 stolen bases in AAA. If the Phillies were to go the Myers/Schneider route (someone of their caliber, maybe not them exactly), then you can expect to see a Crawford call-up almost immediately. Think of it as a trade deadline acquisition, except you gave up nothing for him.

Wrap-Up

Now, we wait. Dave Dombrowski has stated that the Phillies are done with adding relief pitching, but are looking for a right-handed bat in the outfield. Well, somebody must be wrong because a lot of the guys they're linked to are lefties - Donovan, Burleson, Nootbaar, Kwan. But Robert and Laureano are right-handed. I could see them likely to acquire one of them, but only time will tell. We're now about 6 hours away from the deadline - where Dave Dombrowski has the opportunity to define this era of Phillies baseball.