The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the best teams in baseball again this season, but they still need to pull off a few big trades in order to cement themselves at the top of the National League.
One place the Phillies need to upgrade is the outfield. They’ve been rumored to be interested in Luis Robert Jr., but that trade doesn’t seem too likely at this point. The Phillies will likely turn to a few less talked about options.
Thomas Erbe of That Ball’s Outta Here recently suggested the Phillies could pull off a “realistic” trade with the Los Angeles Angels to acquire slugging outfielder Taylor Ward.
“Ward has already blasted a team-leading 20 home runs before the All-Star break. Statistically speaking, he’s also even more dangerous outside of Angel Stadium than he is hitting inside his home park,” Erbe wrote. “There are only a small handful of ballparks further away from Los Angeles than Philadelphia.
“Ward’s power can spray all over the park, and the Phillies have a desperate need for power from the right side of the plate. If his dramatic increase in OPS can translate to hitting at Citizens Bank Park for half of the season’s remaining at-bats, the Phillies could snag an absolute steal at the deadline and catapult their way to the top of the National League when it’s all said and done. To sweeten the deal, this is more than just a rental. Ward is under team control through the 2026 season.”
Ward would be the perfect addition for the Phillies. The slugger is in the middle of a career year in Los Angeles, and he would come with just enough team control to make it worth it for Philadelphia.
While the Angels might not be too excited to sell this season, the Phillies could put together a solid trade package to poach the star from the Angels.
Adding Ward to a lineup with Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and multiple other stars would be dangerous for the league.
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