The lead-up to the MLB trade deadline has generated plenty of Philadelphia Phillies rumors regarding potential trade targets and a few players the team isn’t pursuing. Now, two more of Philadelphia’s targeted players have been revealed.
While the Phillies sit atop the MLB standings, there is still plenty of room for improvement. Entering MLB games today, the club ranks 16th in bullpen ERA (4.00) and its outfielders place 26th in OPS (.653), per FanGraphs.
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Some of the latest Phillies rumors have also linked the team to starting pitching, suggesting there’s a possibility Philadelphia will try to upgrade the end of its rotation. As for the organization’s primary needs – outfield and bullpen – a pair of Phillies trade targets have emerged.
According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies are interested in Washington Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas and Nationals’ closer Kyle Finnegan.
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Thomas, age 28, is enjoying a breakout season in Washington. He is among the fastest MLB players in 2024 with 26 steals and he’s posted a respectable .714 OPS with 13 doubles and 8 home runs. Just as important for Philadelphia, Thomas is under team control next season and would be owed less than half of his remaining salary ($5.45 million ) for this year.
Finnegan, age 32, would add another strong right-handed reliever to the Phillies bullpen. Across 42.2 innings pitched this season, Finnegan has a 2.32 ERA with a 26 percent strikeout rate, 0.98 WHIP and .181 batting average allowed. Under team control through 2025, Finnegan has converted 28-of-32 save opportunities this season.
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