Phillies big trade deadline question is same exhausting one they've had for years now

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May 26, 2026 - 19:28

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Phillies big trade deadline question is same exhausting one they've had for years now originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Philadelphia Phillies might not have had the best start to the season, but at 27-27, the Phillies are still in the playoff race.

With the Phillies trending in the right direction, it would not be a surprise if the Phillies were trade deadline buyers this season. With the August 3rd deadline more than two months away, the Phillies have time to figure out what they need to address.

Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report shared what the Phillies' top need is through a simple question that Dave Dombrowski and Don Mattingly must answer this year.

That question is the following: "Can they land a right-handed middle-of-the-order bat?" It's a simple question, and it's not an unfamiliar one for the Phillies either.

While this question is straightforward, it's an exhausting one for the Phillies, as they've had this question every single year since becoming a true World Series contender.

Phillies have same exhausting trade deadline need once again

This season, thanks to the poor play from Trea Turner, Alec Bohm, J.T. Realmuto, Adolis Garcia, and the bench right-handed hitters in Edmundo Sosa, Otto Kemp, and Felix Reyes, the Phillies need to add more right-handed offensive help in a trade.

While this is a simple need, it's one that the Phillies have dealt with for way too long. Last season, the Phillies had a right-handed hitting need and traded for Harrison Bader. He was solid, but he was only a rental option.

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The year prior, the Phillies took a chance on Austin Hays. That didn't work out at all, as Hays was a total disaster for the Phillies. Then, back in 2023, the Phillies had the need, but elected not to make any additions.

This season will be the fourth-straight year that Dave Dombrowski is coming into the trade deadline with the goal of adding a right-handed hitter.

It's exhausting to hear, once again, that the Phillies need to add a right-handed hitter at the trade deadline. Hopefully, this time, Dombrowski will resolve this need not just for 2026 but for the future as well.