The Philadelphia Phillies have shown no signs of slowing down in their pursuit of winning and remaining World Series contenders. Despite recent injury setbacks, they have consistently performed well and continued to win games.
As the MLB season approaches the All-Star break, the Phillies are set to return to full health. Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber are expected back soon, along with other players making their way back to action.
With this in mind, Philadelphia will have opportunities to strengthen their roster at the trade deadline later this month. They have a few potential areas to address.
Two main needs are boosting outfield talent and enhancing their bullpen.
One player to watch on the trade market for the Phillies is veteran Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Randy Arozarena.
CBS Sports analyzed Arozarena ahead of the trade deadline and identified Philadelphia as one of the top three potential suitors for him.
“An ill-advised offseason swing change left Arozarena’s seasonal numbers in a hole that he only started to dig out of in June. It’s fair to think the Rays, as a result, may elect to hold onto him until at least the winter and give him a chance to repair whatever (if any) damage he did to his stock. We’re including Arozarena anyway because let’s face it: he’s a proven middle-of-the-order bat who is getting expensive (at least by Tampa Bay standards) with two additional years of team control left after this one. That’s a profile that plenty of clubs would be willing to overlook a couple of bad months to obtain.”
In addition to the Phillies, the Seattle Mariners and Kansas City Royals were also listed as possible trade suitors.
Arozarena would be an intriguing fit for Philadelphia. Despite a slow start, hitting .201/.310/.359 over 87 games with 11 home runs and 29 RBI, his performance improved significantly in June. He posted a .291/.424/.468 line with three home runs and nine RBI.
Depending on his price, the Phillies should be interested in him. When hitting well, he provides the impactful bat the lineup needs.
While there are many other outfield trade options, Arozarena could be a player of interest for Philadelphia.
