The Philadelphia Phillies sit in second place in the National League East heading into Tuesday night’s game against their rival New York Mets, but the team faces several concerning issues in this first month of the season. One MLB insider predicts the Phillies will pursue two former All-Stars at the trade deadline to address these weaknesses.
The bullpen has severely underperformed, ranking 29th in ERA, 25th in WHIP (1.53), and last in batting average allowed (.287). Jordan Romano, Philadelphia’s major free-agent bullpen acquisition, carries a 15.26 ERA and nearly squandered an 11-4 ninth-inning lead against the Miami Marlins on Saturday when he surrendered six runs.
Third baseman Alec Bohm, last year’s National League All-Star starter, has been ineffective at the plate. He’s hitting just .193 with a .472 OPS and 33 OPS+ without a single home run. Bohm isn’t alone among struggling right-handed hitters – catcher J.T. Realmuto has posted a .231 average, .654 OPS, and 85 OPS+ with only one home run, while shortstop Trea Turner has managed just one homer this season.
Center fielder Brandon Marsh presents another problem area. The team’s primary option in center is batting .095 with a .387 OPS and 11 OPS+. He now sits on the injured list with a mild hamstring strain as the Phillies hope to reset his season.
With Philadelphia needing to fill these gaps to make a postseason run, ESPN MLB insider David Schoenfield believes the franchise will target St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado and Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. at the trade deadline.
“Alec Bohm is struggling with the Phillies, the Cubs demoted Matt Shaw, the Blue Jays aren’t getting any production at third, the Yankees have only one home run from their third basemen … it’s a long list,” writes Schoenfield. “If the Cardinals pay down some of the contract, they could probably find Arenado a new home.”
Regarding Robert, Schoenfield notes, “Even if the bat doesn’t get all the way back, he at least provides premium center-field defense, and the list of teams that might need an upgrade there is long, including the Phillies (Brandon Marsh hasn’t hit), Mets (Jose Siri broke his leg and can’t hit anyway), Tigers (depending on Parker Meadows’ return from a nerve issue in his arm) and Guardians (Lane Thomas is off to a terrible start).”
Arenado holds a no-trade clause and rejected an offseason deal to the Houston Astros, so he controls his destiny in this scenario. Robert has struggled offensively for over a year now. In an injury-plagued 2024, he hit .224 with a .657 OPS and 87 OPS+ while tallying just 14 home runs. His 2025 has started poorly, as he’s slashing .145/.268/.246 with two home runs.
Arenado is owed $21 million this year, $16 million in 2026, and $15 million in 2027 when he’ll be 37 years old. Robert has two club options in 2026 and 2027 for $20 million each.
