Philadelphia Phillies Land Jake McCarthy in Proposed Trade with Diamondbacks

In a recent proposed trade, the Philadelphia Phillies land outfielder Jake McCarthy

Arizona Diamondbacks Jake McCarthy (31) scores on a Gabriel Moreno RBI-single against the San Francisco Giants in the second inning at Chase Field in Phoenix on Sept. 25, 2024. / Rob Schumacher/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies are getting ready to head into the Winter Meetings with the hopes of improving a team that disappointed in the postseason. 

While the Phillies looked like a true contender for the World Series in 2024 for a good chunk of the year, they were only able to win one game in the playoff series against the New York Mets. 

Since reaching the World Series in 2022, Philadelphia has been going in the wrong direction since, with postseason eliminations coming earlier and earlier. 

With that being said, the Phillies are looking to shake things up this postseason, and whether it be in a trade, via free agency, or both, this team will likely look a bit different in 2025. 

As seen in the postseason, Philadelphia had some needs in the outfield, as their offensive production was really poor there in the National League Division Series. 

Recently, Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report proposed a deal that would send outfielder Jake McCarthy of the Arizona Diamondbacks to the Phillies. 

“The Phillies are looking for another starting outfielder, and the Diamondbacks have a surplus of outfielders. Just over a year after the Diamondbacks shocked the Phillies by storming back to win the NLCS in seven games, the two sides could link up in a trade this offseason. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported this past June that the Phillies were "keeping an eye on" McCarthy. The Snakes didn't ultimately trade McCarthy during the season, but considering that the Phillies need to add contact-oriented hitters who don't strike out a ton, he's someone they should circle back on this offseason.”

With a surplus of outfielders, the Diamondbacks moving McCarthy makes a lot of sense, and his fit with Philadelphia does as well. With Nick Castellanos in right field, the left-hander would be able to start in left field and help deepen the lineup. 

While McCarthy isn’t a power hitting outfielder, he batted .285 with 25 stolen bases in 2024. Bringing the ability to run the bases is always a good thing for a team, as he would help strengthen a bottom of the order that was bad in the postseason. 

Even though the 27-year-old might not be considered as a big splash if Philadelphia traded for him, he would certainly improve an area of need. 

Overall, with a surplus of outfielders in Arizona and a need for an outfielder for the Phillies, this potential trade partnership makes a lot of sense.