Philadelphia Phillies Have Made Calls on Former MVP

The Philadelphia Phillies have made calls on the Chicago Cubs star outfielder ahead of the deadline.

Jun 16, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (24) makes a catch on St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (16) during the fifth inning at Wrigley Field. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

There's no hiding the fact that the Philadelphia Phillies are in the mix for an outfielder at the trade deadline. It was reported in Spring Training that they wanted to find a high-level center fielder, and that issue is still there for the front office.

With multiple players to pick from, the Phillies will have to be smart in what they do. If they're looking to make multiple moves at the deadline to better this roster, they don't want to move a few of their top prospects in one trade.

However, rumors have suggested that they're interested in Luis Robert Jr., Cody Bellinger, and others, which could cost them a ton.

Philadelphia would likely have to move a huge haul for Robert, but Bellinger, who wouldn't be cheap, shouldn't require the same level of prospects in a trade.

And that's why Bellinger might be the better option. The idea of Robert is an interesting one, and if they landed him, they'd instantly be a better team, but there's a lot of risk that he comes with due to struggling to stay on the field.

Bellinger brings risks, too, as he hasn't exactly been the same type of player he was when he won the MVP Award in 2019.

Still, he'd be a massive upgrade, and according to Jim Bowden of The Athletic, the Phillies have made calls about him. Bowden reported that the Chicago Cubs are listening to calls from Philadelphia and other clubs.

"They’ve also listened to teams such as the Phillies, Braves and Mariners who have interest in Cody Bellinger. If they stumble out of the All-Star break, don’t be surprised if they decide to retool for 2025."

It might not be the left-handed slugger that they land, but Bowden added that it'd be "surprising" to see them not come away with an outfielder at the deadline.

"It will be surprising if they don’t land a center fielder by the trade deadline."

All of these rumors suggest that it isn't a matter of if but when.

Bellinger has had another impressive campaign after reviving his career with the Cubs in 2024. He's slashing .269/.331/.410 with an OPS+ of 107 and nine home runs in 312 at-bats.

He hit 26 home runs last season, which was the most he had in a year since 2019.

If Robert has a price that's too high, he seems to be the best option available as they look to address their outfield issues.