Are Philadelphia Phillies Sure They Don't Need to Add Starting Pitching?

There hasn't been a lot of talk about the Philadelphia Phillies acquiring starting pitching at the trade deadline, but that is something they should think about pursuing.

Oct 10, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Philadelphia Phillies president Dave Dombrowski watches a team workout for the NLDS at Truist Park / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have performed as one of the best teams in baseball virtually the entire year.

After a few weeks where the offense was quiet early in the season, they have become one of the most feared lineups in all of baseball like expected. Pairing that with a rotation who has been consistently towards the top of statistical standings, and it's a recipe which has them holding the best record entering the All-Star break.

With the July 30 trade deadline approaching, it's clear the Phillies are going to be buyers. What positions they are targeting has been rumored to be another outfielder and bullpen help.

At no point has starting pitching even been mentioned as something Philadelphia should be pursuing.

Based on this rotation having the best ERA in Major League Baseball entering Sunday (3.23) and three All-Star Game selections at one point, it doesn't seem necessary for them to add another player to the mix when the number of arms used during the playoffs shrinks.

However, some recent performances might call into question if the Phillies are truly fine when it comes to their starting unit.

Yes, Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez have the ninth and 12-best ERAs in baseball respectively, but they also have had some bumpy outings heading into the All-Star break.

Suarez has posted an ERA of 4.73 with a 1-3 record over his last seven starts with only 33 strikeouts across his 40 innings. Manager Rob Thomson has talked about fatigue being a factor for the rising star, which could be playing a role in these inflated numbers. But, with the second half of the season still to play, that doesn't bode well for how he might perform going forward and into the playoffs.

Sanchez hasn't had the same level of regression during this small sample size, but he did have an outing on the Fourth of July that saw him get shelled for seven earned runs in just four innings of work.

One of these two is going to be Philadelphia's third starter during the playoffs, slotted behind Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola, while the other will be seldomly used in the fourth spot as necessary.

If fatigue continues to play a factor and regression really starts catching up to these two, all of a sudden the Phillies don't have that vaunted pitching staff it looked like they had throughout the year.

Nobody is saying Dave Dombrowski needs to go out and give up the farm to land one of the top arms available like Garrett Crochet, but it might be wise to at least inquire about what it would take to land someone like Jack Flaherty, Chris Bassit, Erick Fedde, or other potential rentals.

Philadelphia already has an issue with their fifth rotation spot with both Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull on the injured list. Michael Mercado was shelled on Sunday, and although Tyler Phillips has been good so far, that is too small of a sample size to bank on this being his usual performance going forward.

Landing someone with legit Major League experience who can eat innings during for the rest of the season and be called upon during the playoffs should be something Dombrowski is considering.

Bullpen upgrades and another outfielder will likely come before July 30, but he should also be gauging what it's going to take to make sure this rotation is as solid as possible going forward and bring someone else into the mix.