Phillies "Don't See a Fit" With A's Rooker

Jason Burke | Jul 21, 2024

Jul 14, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Oakland Athletics outfielder Brent Rooker (25) watches his two-run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the sixth inning at Citizens Bank Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies don't believe that Oakland A's slugger Brent Rooker is a fit for their club, per a report from Bob Nightengale.

"The Philadelphia Phillies have no interest in Miami Marlins center fielder Jazz Chisholm, have shied away from Chicago White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham and don't believe that Oakland A's outfielder Brent Rooker is a fit."

Rooker has been primarily used as the A's DH, with 71 of his 85 games played entering Sunday coming at the position. He has also collected nine games in left, and five in right this year.

While his defense may be a question for teams with -3 Outs Above Average according to Baseball Savant, but he also ranks in the 90th percentile or above in nearly every offensive category. He is currently hitting .294 with 22 home runs, a .372 OBP, and a .951 OPS.

The Phillies may not see a fit with Rooker due to how their roster is constructed, but there will be teams lining up to make their pitch to the Oakland A's front office over the next week ahead of the Trade Deadline.

The A's could also decide to hold onto Rooker as their star as the team heads to Sacramento for the 2025 season. Rooker will be entering his first year of arbitration eligibility next season, and won't hit free agency until the completion of the 2027 campaign.

There is no rush for Oakland to trade Rooker, but his value is also extremely high at the moment, and they could decide to add some youth to their system to continue to build for their future, wherever that ends up being.