Before the trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies are in dire need of adding to their bullpen and outfield. Despite having a lot of skill, the club didn’t perform well in the previous season’s postseason. This week’s upgrades to the bullpen and outfield would help keep that from happening again. Is it possible for them to accomplish two goals at once? Paul Hembekides of ESPN recently forecast that the Phillies would sign utilityman Willi Castro and reliever Griffin Jax from the Minnesota Twins in a huge deadline trade.
The Phillies clearly need help in their bullpen. Jordan Romano has struggled with a 6.99 ERA, and Jose Alvarado won’t be available for the playoffs due to a suspension for PEDs. That’s why Griffin Jax could be a great fit—his stats show he’s been much better than his 3.91 ERA suggests. He’s getting hitters to chase, swing and miss, and strike out at elite levels.
The Phillies could also really use another hitter. Since the start of May, Bryson Stott and Max Kepler have been among the least productive everyday players in the league. Rodolfo Castro could help fix that—he’s been an above-average hitter for three straight seasons and brings versatility, having played over 300 innings this year in both the infield and outfield.
Adding Castro and reliever Griffin Jax would be a big boost for Philly, and while it would likely take a decent prospect or two to make it happen, it’d still be more affordable than trying to trade for stars like Ryan Helsley, Jhoan Duran, or Luis Robert Jr.
A few prospects would have to be cut off from the Phillies, but that’s just part of the deal. This is an action that must be taken if the squad hopes to win in October, which they are more than capable of achieving.