We are offically less than one week away from the Major League Baseball Trade Deadline. The Phillies will be active and dispite a lack of hot rumors, I expect that to change in the coming days.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski has made a career of making key trades this time of the year. Regardless if it is for a superstar player or a bench bat, Dave always seems to come out on the better side of these deals, especially when it comes down to team success.
With the playoff landscape changed from years past, the trade deadline is entering new waters. The price of players has risen, the amount of teams still in the hunt has increased, and the success of the Phillies last year has given teams newfound faith they can replicate their success.
The Phillies will make a trade and a team they can make a deal with comes from their own division.
Dealing with DC
The Phillies could stay in the divison and make a deal with the Washington Nationals at the trade deadline.
Outfielder Lane Thomas has had quite the season for the Nationals, and is hitting .293 on the season with 16 home runs.
Thomas can play all three outfield positions and is a right-handed bat. The Phillies desperately need another righty and with the emergence of Bryce Harper at first base, it gives the team a chance to commit to adding in the outfield.
Price of Doing Business
With Thomas being arguably one of the best position players available at the Trade Deadline, the cost for his services will be high. I expect the Phillies to have to give up one of their top outfield prospects in the deal, which means either Johan Rojas or Justin Crawford.
The chances are, the Phils would be more likely to deal Rojas in a trade of this caliber, as they would use his 40-man roster spot to add in the incoming player.
In this case, the incoming player is Lane Thomas, who at the age of 28 is having a breakout season. Lane has two more seasons worth of arbitration after 2023, which means he’s under team control for 2 years after this season.
He is not a typical rental, which is why he would cost a lot in terms of a trade package.
Deal or No Deal
As much as I love watching Johan Rojas play, I would move him in a deal for Lane Thomas.
Rojas is an electric player, but he will need to develop his bat in the big leagues in order to remain a big-league player. He already has elite speed and defense, and while he would be a nightmare to deal with, he fits the National’s rebuild timeline.
Thomas will likely be dealt and the Phillies can use his services. Not a traditional power bat, his 16 home runs would make him second on the club behind Kyle Schwarber.
Speaking of Schwarber, he can focus on being the DH once Thomas joins the team. This improves our overall defense and gives the Phillies a cheap option moving forward.
The Phillies should inquire about Lane Thomas and I think he would be a nice addition to the club.
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
