The Phillies have needs. That’s not news. Three definitive areas have emerged in 2026, but some have carried over from past years: a back-end starter, a right-handed bat and bullpen help from both sides. The problem is the market. With 21 of 30 teams either in a playoff spot or within 3 1 /2 games of the final Wild Card spot, 70 percent of the league still has at least some reason to hold. That could make this deadline more about creativity than a simple buyer-seller board. None of the lanes are hard to identify now, just a week and a half away from the Aug. 3 trade deadline, when the Phillies are home to host the Nationals. The harder part is figuring out where the value sits, how much prospect capital, across an average at-best system, the Phillies are willing to spend and how aggressive Dave Dombrowski wants to be after a Dodgers series that exposed the margins again. So here is a 5×5 look at the Phillies’ deadline options: five categories, five names in each. ROTATION PIECE There’s a steep drop-off, and that’s why this may be their top priority. Aaron Nola has a 5.82 ERA. The Phillies are 5-20 when the fifth spot takes the ball, between Andrew Painter, Alan Rangel and four openers. In October, they will need more than three starters. Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sánchez and Jesús Luzardo give them a strong top three, but the floor behind them has not been there often enough. A starter does not have to change the front of the rotation. He does have to keep the Phillies from turning too many meaningful games into bullpen games. Brady Singer — Cincinnati RedsThrows: R | Age: 29 | FA after 2026 The Phillies last saw Singer on July 9, when he spun 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball in Cincinnati. He’s been strong over his last seven starts, posting a 2.98 ERA after carrying a 4.53 season ERA. His metrics do not jump off the page, but pitching coach Caleb Cotham could help unlock more out of his sweeper. A former first-round pick, Singer would bring some upside behind the Phillies’ top three, even if the track record has been inconsistent in past seasons. Robbie Ray — San Francisco GiantsThrows: L | Age: 34 | FA after 2026 Another rental, Ray is having his best season since signing a five-year, $115 million deal after his 2021 Cy Young campaign with Toronto. The left-hander has a 3.33 ERA across 20 outings this season. Like Singer, Ray does not come with great underlying metrics, but he has pitched in three different postseasons and has shown he can handle Philadelphia’s lineup. He threw 6 2/3 scoreless innings against the Phillies on April 7. Foster Griffin — Washington NationalsThrows: L | Age: 30 | FA after 2030 What a season it has been for Griffin, who signed with Washington after spending three seasons in Japan. He has been a steady strike thrower, shown real poise in his first season back in the States and keeps hitters guessing with a wide mix. Griffin’s Nationals could reportedly move him if they cannot reach an extension, which makes his 11-win, 2.69 ERA season interesting. In two starts against the Phillies, he has allowed just two runs over 12 1/3 innings. Mike Soroka — Arizona DiamondbacksThrows: R | Age: 28 | FA after 2026 Soroka is familiar with the National League East from his time with the Braves. The D-backs took a chance this past winter and it has paid off when he has been healthy. That last part is always the concern. Before suffering a glute injury in the middle of June, Soroka had a 3.07 ERA and a 1.09 WHIP through 15 starts, filling up the zone and generating a strong amount of chase. He could work himself back shortly after the deadline, which makes the timing complicated but not impossible. Ryan Yarbrough — New York YankeesThrows: L | Age: 34 | FA after 2026 Yarbrough is one of the least-discussed names on the board. The swingman has spent the season in the Yankees’ bullpen, but his appearances have been sporadic. With New York carrying pitching depth, moving the back end of its bullpen for a useful farm asset would make some sense. Yarbrough has October experience, limits hard contact and misses barrels as part of his 3.86 ERA. He would likely need to be stretched out if the Phillies viewed him as more than a bulk option. RIGHT-HANDED BAT This need looked louder a month ago. Trea Turner has picked up his season, and Alec Bohm has done the same. That changes the urgency, but it does not erase the issue. The Phillies’ right-handed bats are hitting .221/.280/.363 with a .643 OPS this year, the lowest mark in baseball and their lowest since 2014. A right-handed outfielder who can handle lefties without being buried by righties would be a great addition. OF Heliot Ramos — San Francisco GiantsB/T: R/R | Age: 26 | FA after 2029 The Puerto Rican-born slugger has battled injuries in 2026, but he has produced since returning. Ramos has posted a .759 OPS and has mashed left-handed pitching, putting up a .904 OPS in 54 at-bats. His barrel rate has nearly doubled from a year ago, which has led to big hard-hit numbers. There is swing and miss, chase and not many walks in his offensive profile, but his track record and team control would make him a strong fit well beyond this year. OF/1B Spencer Steer — Cincinnati RedsB/T: R/R | Age: 28 | FA after 2028 Steer is comparable to Ramos in cost and fit. He has posted a 1.062 OPS against left-handed pitching, drilled 16 homers overall and brings a balanced offensive profile. Steer has split time between the infield and outfield, shown a strong understanding of the strike zone and flashes above-average speed, which helps make up for some of the defensive limitations. He would fit best in a corner outfield spot with the Phillies, but the price would not be light. OF Taylor Ward — Baltimore OriolesB/T: R/R | Age: 32 | FA after 2026 Ward’s surface power has backed up this year. He has seven homers in 379 at-bats, one season after hitting 36 with the Angels. Camden Yards is not exactly friendly to right-handed power, and Ward’s game has shifted with it. His .387 OBP is 70 points higher than last year, and his 17.2 percent chase rate is the lowest in MLB by a wide margin. As a rental, he would give the Phillies a disciplined on-base bat who could even fit near the top of the order. OF Luis Robert Jr. — New York MetsB/T: R/R | Age: 28 | Club option for 2027, $2M buyout Robert feels like a Phillies rumor every deadline. He has again battled injuries in his seventh big league season, but even in a smaller sample, the tools still show why he was once one of the most feared hitters in the American League. His speed and defense would play in Philadelphia, and he has shown more willingness to take walks than earlier in his career. The contract is flexible enough, with a $20 million club option for 2027 and a $2 million buyout. OF Lane Thomas — Kansas City RoyalsB/T: R/R | Age: 30 | FA after 2026 Entering last offseason, Thomas looked like a buy-low bounce-back candidate. He totaled 60 homers and 60 steals from 2022-24, and this year, he has looked closer to that player again. Thomas has a .746 OPS in his first season with Kansas City, has shown strong plate discipline and brings consistency, even if the hard contact has not always been there. On a one-year deal, he has struggled defensively, but he has one of the best arms in baseball and still brings elite speed. RELIEVERS The bullpen has pushed its way into the deadline conversation. The Phillies’ relief group has a 6.59 ERA since July 1, third worst in MLB. Since June 1, it sits at 5.08, seventh worst. Brad Keller is likely out for the rest of the season. Tanner Banks, who was heavily relied on over the past two years, regressed and is now hurt. José Alvarado has struggled mightily. Getting the ball to Jhoan Duran in the ninth has not been smooth enough, even as the closer is putting together one of the best relief seasons Philadelphia has seen in more than a decade. RHP Ryan Zeferjahn — Los Angeles AngelsThrows: R | Age: 28 | FA after 2030 Zeferjahn’s 3.83 ERA might not jump out, but the 6-foot-5 righty is a metrics darling. He has a rare five-pitch mix out of the bullpen, led by a sweeper-four-seam combination that is among the best in baseball. He has racked up 66 strikeouts in 47 innings and generates a ton of swing and miss, especially in the zone. His 100th percentile .158 opponents’ expected batting average backs up his .153 opponents’ average. The control would make him pricey, but this has the feel of a Jonathan Bowlan-style swing. RHP Yennier Cano — Baltimore OriolesThrows: R | Age: 32 | FA after 2028 Cano posted a 2.58 ERA over 142 appearances in his first two seasons with Baltimore. The workload caught up to him last year, when his ERA jumped north of five over 65 outings. This season, he is back to an elite ground-ball rate, which would fit the Phillies’ bullpen well. He throws strikes from a low sidearm slot on the right side and gives hitters a different look with a unique repertoire that even includes a splitter. RHP Ryan Thompson — Arizona DiamondbacksThrows: R | Age: 34 | FA after 2026 The name should sound familiar from the Phillies’ 2023 NLCS loss to the D-backs. Thompson has been excellent in October, posting a 2.14 ERA in 18 postseason appearances. From a funky sidearm slot, he generates ground balls, gets chase with his slider, limits hard contact and avoids free passes. He has a 2.95 ERA in 41 appearances this season. He would not be the splashiest relief addition, but changing the looks in the Phillies’ bullpen has value. LHP Daniel Lynch IV — Kansas City RoyalsThrows: L | Age: 29 | FA after 2028 The former highly regarded pitching prospect has climbed in Kansas City’s bullpen over the last three seasons. This year has been a breakout for the 6-foot-6 lefty. Lynch has a 2.13 ERA in 42 outings and has dominated left-handed hitters, holding them to a .380 OPS. He does not light up the radar gun or pile up strikeouts, but he is a controllable lefty who could fill a real Phillies need. They do not have a lot of that in their pipeline. LHP Erik Miller — San Francisco GiantsThrows: L | Age: 28 | FA after 2029 Yes, another Giant. A former Phillies fourth-round pick in 2019, Miller has turned himself into a solid big league arm with a 3.13 ERA over three seasons. His sinker and slider give hitters trouble, and the sinker sits around 97 mph. He grades out well across most Statcast categories, outside of chase and walks. The stuff would play in Philadelphia’s bullpen, and there still seems to be room for more. FORTIFY THE HILL? Derek Hill has been one of the better in-season finds for the Phillies since coming over from the White Sox after Adolis García tore his lat. Hill is hitting .290/.333/.516 with the Phillies. Before the trade, he already carried a .491 career slugging percentage against lefties. The defense and speed have played, too. A Justin Crawford-Hill-Brandon Marsh outfield has held up over the last month, producing a combined .786 OPS. The issue is the other side of it. Gabriel Rincones Jr. is hitting .173 with a .510 OPS through his first 75 big league at-bats. If the right-handed bat market gets too crowded or too expensive, the Phillies could take a different route. Instead of forcing a right-handed outfield fit, they could strengthen the matchup game with another left-handed bat and keep Hill in the spots where he has been most effective. OF Jung Hoo Lee — San Francisco GiantsB/T: L/R | Age: 27 | Signed through 2029, opt-out after 2027 Lee would be more than a platoon add. He is hitting over .300 against righties, brings elite bat-to-ball skills and could slide near the top of the Phillies’ order. He would not come cheap, but he would give them a different kind of left-handed profile than the one already on the roster. OF JJ Bleday — Cincinnati RedsB/T: L/L | Age: 28 | FA after 2028 Bleday got off to a red-hot start before cooling off, but the left-handed fit still makes sense. His numbers against righties are still strong, with an .835 OPS in those matchups, right above his .823 OPS overall. He would not be the flashiest add, but he would give the Phillies another left-handed option if the righty market gets thin. OF Daulton Varsho — Toronto Blue JaysB/T: L/R | Age: 30 | FA after 2026 Varsho has struggled at the plate this year, but last season’s damage against right-handed pitching still stands out. He slugged .591 with 18 homers in 198 at-bats against righties. Add in the defense, which is among the best in baseball, and it is easy to see why the Phillies would at least explore it. OF Trevor Larnach — Minnesota TwinsB/T: L/R | Age: 29 | FA after 2027 Larnach is not the strongest defender, but the bat against righties would play. He owns a .779 career OPS against right-handed pitching and has been even better this year, hitting .314 with an .879 OPS in those matchups. He is also getting on base at a .383 clip overall, by far the best mark of his career. OF Carlos Cortes — AthleticsB/T: L/R | Age: 29 | FA after 2031 Cortes would be the deepest cut of the group, but there is some sense to it. He puts the ball in play, limits strikeouts and has not been overwhelmed by left-on-left matchups. The stronger pull is against righties, where he has a .798 OPS over the last two seasons. All seven of his homers this year have come in those matchups. LONG SHOTS These are not straightforward deadline names. Some play for teams still in the hunt. Some have money attached. Some would cost enough that the Phillies would have to decide whether this deadline is worth a bigger swing. Still, they touch the same needs. OF Randy Arozarena — Seattle MarinersB/T: R/R | Age: 31 | FA after 20262026 stats: .282/.382/.446, .827 OPS, 11 HR, 45 RBI, 19 SB OF Oneil Cruz — Pittsburgh PiratesB/T: L/R | Age: 27 | FA after 20282026 stats: .264/.350/.472, .822 OPS, 14 HR, 44 RBI, 21 SB LHP Aroldis Chapman — Boston Red SoxThrows: L | Age: 38 | FA after 2026, pending 2027 option status2026 stats: 2.05 ERA, 21 saves, 38 K, 30 2/3 IP LHP Eduardo Rodríguez — Arizona DiamondbacksThrows: L | Age: 33 | Signed through 2027, club option for 20282026 stats: 8-3, 2.62 ERA, 116 2/3 IP, 82 K RHP Joe Ryan — Minnesota TwinsThrows: R | Age: 30 | FA after 20272026 stats: 6-5, 2.85 ERA, 110 1/3 IP, 128 K ...read more read less