Phillies Panic Button: "There will be some very disappointed veterans"

Thursday's 6pm trade deadline is less than 48 hours away and Dave Dombrowski and the Phillies decision-making brass will need a strong push if they want any chance at a deep run in October.

Thus far, the Phillies have done nothing - which I'm not knocking them for. There were rumors that some guys might be dealt prior to Thursday, but it's been mostly minor moves here and there - Austin Slater to the Yankees, Seranthony Dominguez (our boy!) to the Blue Jays, Danny Jansen to the Brewers - nothing crazy. The Phillies haven't missed out on any big names - yet.

But a quote that came out today from current PHLY Sports contributor, former NBCS Philadelphia reporter, and self-described "ball scribe," Jim Salisbury is very telling about what the Phillies must do by Thursday:

"I'll tell you this, the players I've talked to, they want to see a move made. They'd like to see a bat come in, they'd like to see a big arm come in. They are watching this thing really closely and there will be some very disappointed veterans if there is no significant improvement made."

Big J Journalism from Jimmy! Kudos to Salisbury for that nugget and airing it out - lighting a real fire under Dombrowski, now that the public perception is our star players want a big deal done. Somebody get Jimbo a hoagie.

The red lights are flashing in Dave Dombrowski's office. Alarms and sirens are blaring. Lock the door, turn out the lights, shut the blinds; it's time for this man to sit at his desk and not get up until a deal is made. The only thing he should have access to is an old-school desk phone that he would've utilized to build the Florida Marlins 1997 World Series Champion team. And access to the internet, briefly, just to read Barreldelphia Media's "Ideal Phillies Trade Deadline."

That's all he gets until Thursday at 6. He needs to make some major trades, otherwise "vets will be upset." Jim Salisbury is more than a reliable source - he's been covering the Phillies for years and when he was at NBC, he was one of the go-to Phillies reporters for all the scoops. But he left the network soon after a scuffle with Nick Castellanos - so safe to assume Casty is not one of the "vets" - and has since taken a backseat when it comes to reporting. But, he's still plugged in and can drop nukes like this every now and then.

I hate to speculate (I don't have a problem with speculating, that's just something you're supposed to say before you actually do it), but I'd imagine Salisbury's sources are guys like Bryce Harper in between throwing punches at Rob Manfred (we need a bat! *pow* and an arm *pow* dave's gotta do something! *pow* or i'm gonna get upset! *pow*), Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and perhaps guys like Zack Wheeler & JT Realmuto.

They share the same sentiment as us fans - do something, Dave. And guess what that means? They're gonna be trading prospects. So for all of you people romanticizing Eduardo Tait getting multi-hit games in A-ball (newsflash: he's their fourth best prospect. I HOPE he's doing well in A-ball) there's a good chance he's gone and you're gonna have to live with it. Do you want a ring or do you want prospects? You can't have it all! Prospects are like antiques sitting on your shelf. They're nice to look at and brag about and talk about how much you could get for them, if you were to sell them. But if you never sell, do they ever have any real value?

You know who does have real value? Eugenio Suarez. David Bednar. Dennis Santana. Jhoan Duran. That being said, let's take a look at the most recent rumors regarding the Phillies:

Unencouraging News Regarding the Bullpen:

Welp, for those of you who were hoping for major bullpen upgrades (I'm in that camp, as well), I'm not sure they're coming. This comes from Matt Gelb; the Phillies have "balked" at the asking price Pittsburgh is putting on David Bednar. The price of Jhoan Duran and Griffin Jax from the Twins also seems steep and the Phillies are not convinced they want to spend that much. I must include, though, that even if the price seems steep for these guys, remember that they're all under team control for the next few seasons. None of those guys would be rentals and that is undoubtedly contributing to the high cost. That and the scarcity of not only sellers, but also relief options. Supply and demand, folks. Elasticity. GDP. Supply Curves. Adam Smith, the Invisible Hand, John Maynard Keynes - it's Economics 101!

Also, from Gelb, the Phillies may be considering moving Jesus Luzardo to the bullpen. Luzardo had a strong, 7 inning, 2 hit, zero run start last night against the White Sox, and this report still comes after that. This would potentially come after the deadline, "depending how the bullpen looks." That's not a terrible idea. Adding a lefty to the 'pen, and making room in the starting rotation for Aaron Nola, once he returns (mid-August, tentatively). You would think Taijuan Walker would get the bump to the bullpen amid Nola's return, but this could be an indication that Andy Painter will come up soon and replace Walker. Interesting...

But there is unarguably some good news in this report. There is a "potential path" to Ryan Helsley of the Cardinals becoming a Phillie before Thursday's deadline. Helsley is different than the guys mentioned above - he's a free agent at season's end. Of course, that has it's pros and cons - he's a rental, but that also makes him a cheaper. I think that's a good thing. Helsley led baseball in saves last year, with 49, and currently has 21 (top 10 in the league, top 5 in the NL) with a 3.00 ERA. He'd be the most legitimate closer they've had since the days of Brad Lidge (?), unless you want to count Jonathan Papelbon's odd 3.5 year stint (which I suppose you should). If the Phillies aren't willing to spend big on a reliever, I'd still expect them to spend big. That means top prospects will be dealt to acquire an impact bat.

Enter: Geno.

Everything has indicated the Phillies are in on the Eugenio Suarez sweepstakes, but we haven't gotten any real updates lately, other than the fact the Phillies are still in on him. There's a lot of Steven Kwan rumors floating around, with the Guardians seemingly more likely to trade him after losing their closer to an inevitable gambling suspension, and potentially more players. Ken Rosenthal reports that Kwan is drawing "a ton" of interest, specifically from the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Padres, and the Phillies. But, is Kwan really an impact bat?

I mean, he's a heck of a player. Every year he's been in the league he's won a Gold Glove. He made his second consecutive All-Star Game this season. He doesn't strike out, he gets on base, but I'm not sure he's a needle mover. If the Phillies are looking for a defensive upgrade in left field and a decent bat, he's your guy. But it's gonna cost you.

Luis Robert has also received some buzz regarding a trade to the Phillies. Please no. I've talked about this ad nauseam - I just have no interest in giving up a top 10 prospect for a guy who strikes out like crazy, is constantly hurt, and is putting up a Max Kepler slash-line. We already have that - in a guy named MAX KEPLER - and he plays everyday. That's all I have to say about that.

So, we'll keep a close eye on the market. I don't want a WORD out of Dave Dombrowski until 6pm on Thursday, because he should be in that dark office getting deals done. I don't need any comments, just action. I believe in Dombo to get it done. He truly has the chance to define this era of Phillies baseball - and he's down to about 30 hours to do it.