The Philadelphia Phillies have their sights set on October. Even though they currently sit in first place in the National League East, they need to find a right-handed outfield bat. The power shortage is glaring — they rank 16th in baseball with just 83 home runs. Kyle Schwarber leads the way with 24 blasts, but no other Phillie has reached double digits. Will they make a blockbuster trade for an outfield bat? Here are five sluggers the Phillies should target, including an 11-time All-Star and a former World Series MVP.
1. Taylor Ward: Los Angeles Angels
Los Angeles Angels’ Taylor Ward would fit perfectly in the Phillies lineup. He has 19 home runs — which would rank second on the team behind Kyle Schwarber — with a .466 slugging percentage and .737 OPS. He could platoon with left-handed Max Kepler in left field and remains controllable through the 2026 season.
The drawbacks are notable, though. He carries just a .271 on-base percentage and has reverse splits — hitting right-handed pitchers (.743 OPS and 16 home runs) far better than southpaws (.705 OPS and three home runs).
2. Luis Robert Jr.: Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox have held onto center fielder Luis Robert Jr. too long, watching his trade value plummet. He’s struggling at the plate, slashing .185/.267/.305 with a 62 OPS+ (38% worse than league average) and just 15 extra-base hits — seven home runs and eight doubles. His injury-plagued 2024 wasn’t much better: .224/.278/.379 with an 85 OPS+ and 14 home runs in 100 games.
But Robert was an All-Star in 2023, remains strong defensively in center, and has swiped 22 bases this season. He’s earning $15 million with $20 million club options for 2026 and 2027. If the Phillies can acquire him cheaply and believe they can fix his swing, Robert could be a steal.
3. Adolis Garcia: Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers outfielder Adolis Garcia became a two-time All-Star in 2023, hitting .245/.328/.508 with 39 home runs and a 127 OPS+ while helping lead the franchise to their first World Series championship. That October, he transformed into the planet’s best hitter, slashing .323/.382/.726 with eight home runs and ALCS MVP honors.
His numbers have dropped significantly since then. Garcia’s home runs (25), OPS (.684) and OPS+ (97) all fell in 2024, and he’s posting similar numbers this season — .686 OPS, 97 OPS+ and nine home runs in 73 games. Despite hitting below average, he still possesses pop and postseason experience that could boost a Phillies lineup desperate for power. Garcia is controllable through the 2026 season.
4. Randy Arozarena: Seattle Mariners
Randy Arozarena hasn’t surfaced in trade rumors, but the Seattle Mariners have slipped from first place — now five games behind the Houston Astros — and hold just the last AL Wild Card spot. After an 18-12 start in March and April, they stumbled to 13-14 in May and sit 8-11 in June. If the slide continues, the Phillies should call Seattle about Arozarena.
The former All-Star is hitting .236/.356/.402 with a 124 OPS+, nine home runs and 19 doubles. More importantly, he becomes Babe Ruth in October. Across 33 career playoff games, he’s posted a .336/.414/.690 slash line with 11 home runs, 17 RBI and 23 runs. Most of that damage came during the 2020 postseason with the Tampa Bay Rays, when he earned ALCS MVP honors. Arozarena also has another year of control before becoming a free agent.
5. Mike Trout: Los Angeles Angels
This remains a long shot, but imagine the dream scenario: the Millville, New Jersey native and Philadelphia Eagles fan comes to the City of Brotherly Love to chase his first World Series championship. Since returning from a left knee bone bruise that cost him a month, Mike Trout is hitting .271/.395/.400 with three home runs in June.
Injuries have derailed the Angels superstar in recent seasons, but if he can stay healthy — and that’s a massive if — don’t count out owner John Middleton and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski. They’d need to navigate the $195 million remaining on his contract through 2030, and Trout would need to want out. But stranger things have happened.
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