As the looming trade deadline approaches, the Phillies have continued to assess areas of need within the team and many believe that they may be targeting a former rival to power them to a playoff push. In the last couple of years, Adam Duvall has been a thorn in Philadelphia’s side, playing with 2 division rivals and causing the Phillies (and their fans) some serious stress.
From Foe to Phillie
Last year with the Braves, Duvall boasted an .899 OPS when facing the Phillies, hitting .364 in 3 games at Citizens Bank Park with 2 homers. In 2021, he hit .320 in 7 games at CBP with 3 homers. And in 2019, he hit a staggering .412 in 6 games against the Phillies with 3 homers.
One thing is clear – Duvall loves hitting in Philadelphia. In 33 career games, Duvall has slashed .339/.374/.687 with 11 homers in South Philly. 55% of the Phillies’ remaining games will be played in CBP. After their current 7-game road trip, that number will move to 62.2%.
The slugger would be the perfect addition and would allow the Phils to shift Schwarber to a more-permanent DH role while strengthening the defense in the outfield. Duvall is a triple threat and can play all 3 outfield positions, debuting mostly in CF for the Red Sox.
Wildcards and Postseason Pushes
There is, however, one hangup in trying to acquire Duvall: the Red Sox have the same record as the Phillies, 8 games over .500, meaning the Red Sox may not even sell at the deadline. As they are sitting only 2 games out of a Wild Card spot, the Red Sox may not want to stir up any change within the organization.
However, there is one major difference between the Phillies and Red Sox. The Sox are 4th in a packed AL East with the Yankees on their tails just a game behind them. Furthermore, teams like the Angels and Mariners are right behind them in the Wild Card race, putting pressure on them to perform. To make matters worse, the Yankees just got Aaron Judge back and the Angels just acquired Lucas Giolito to make a playoff push which boast problems for the Sox.
Regardless, if the Red Sox do offer Duvall to the Phillies, he’s on an expiring contract and having a nice season with a 123 OPS+. The slugger shouldn’t have a price tag that is out of reach; however, it won’t be cheap either. He may cost the Phillies a Carlos De La Cruz or Simon Muzziotti, both top-10 prospects in the Phillies system but may prove to be worth it in the end.
Regardless of the outcome, this upcoming trade deadline should prove to be very interesting as the Phillies look to reshape some areas of their team to solidify a solid playoff push.
Photo by Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire
