MLB Insider Tabs Veteran Outfielder as Top Phillies Trade Deadline Target

Baseball is a funny game where things can change in a nanosecond. Just ask the Philadelphia Phillies, who were dead in the water a week ago before firing Joe Girardi after a disappointing 22-29 start. Rob Thomson stepped in as interim manager and boom, the Phillies rattled off nine wins in their last 11 games and now sit at 31-31 on the year.

It's the perfect time for this turnaround as the MLB heads officially into trade season. The Phillies can now comfortably call themselves buyers at the upcoming August 2nd Trade Deadline.

ESPN insider Bradford Doolittle recently reported on the current state of all 30 teams heading into trade season, and named one veteran outfielder as a top Phillies target by the first week of August.

Phillies Trade Rumors

Doolittle lists Oakland Athletics outfielder Ramon Laureano as an option the Phillies "should be clamoring for."

Phillies News

This is a bit of an intriguing choice given Philadelphia's clear and seemingly never-ending need for bullpen help. The franchise ranks just 21st in bullpen ERA, pitching to a disappointing 4.26 mark.

Outfield help may also surprise some given Philadelphia's offseason additions of sluggers Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber. Neither has fully hit their groove at the plate yet, but this is a decision primed on defensive help.

Schwarber and Castellanos both hold negative "outs above average" ratings according to MLB's Baseball Savant. Laureano is an above-average defender with more than 290+ games played in both right field and center field. Adding a capable outfield defender alongside Odubel Herrera will go a long way in helping the Phillies win more games down the stretch.

Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.