Philadelphia Phillies Reportedly Eyeing Blockbuster Move for Starting Pitching

It seems like the Philadelphia Phillies haven't ruled out adding a starter for the back half of the year and into the playoffs.

Jul 12, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (45) delivers against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at Guaranteed Rate Field / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies are going to be an active team ahead of the upcoming trade deadline on July 30. With this team clearly a contender to win the World Series, they will look to fill as many of the holes on this roster as possible.

Bullpen and outfield help has long been the rumored targets of Dave Dombrowski and his front office.

The profile of what they are looking for in the additional lineup piece is unclear. Rumors have speculated they will try to put together a blockbuster deal for someone like Luis Robert Jr., Cody Bellinger, or another high-profile slugger. Others suggest they are looking for the right fit by adding a player comfortable in a platoon split against left-handed pitching.

Relievers are always going to be something contending teams pursue, and with the Phillies' bullpen ERA ballooning to 3.91 which puts them 16th in the league, there is clearly a need for them to bring in another shutdown arm or two.

Dombrowski has been aggressive in the past when he thinks his team can win a championship, so it wouldn't be surprising to see him land some of the best available options to address both of these areas.

One thing Philadelphia has going for them is a strong rotation that has the best ERA in Major League Baseball with a 3.20.

Based on this strength, it was thought they could bypass the need to bring in another starting arm, especially with Taijuan Walker and Spencer Turnbull expected to return from the injured list at some point during the second half of the season.

However, MLB insider Jon Morosi reports the Phillies are reportedly eyeing two players to upgrade their rotation and have discussed Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox and Jack Flaherty of the Detroit Tigers in particular.

That is quite the bombshell.

Landing Crochet would be a major move for Philadelphia as he is potentially the best starting pitcher available at the deadline. The White Sox are reportedly asking for a major haul in return to send out their ace who has a 3.07 ERA and AL-leading 157 strikeouts.

Making this deal would be a blockbuster.

They would have to send out multiple star prospects that would likely feature a package of Aidan Miller, Justin Crawford, and Andrew Painter. Maybe Crochet can be acquired in a move that also lands Robert to make trading away that many talented minor leaguers palatable.

Flaherty would cost much less if the Phillies want to go that route.

He'd be a rental with him scheduled to hit free agency after the year, so they would be able to hold onto their elite prospects while still landing a starter who has a 3.13 ERA and 11.4 K/9 ratio.

This is a surprising report, though.

It was thought Philadelphia wouldn't be in the market to acquire starting pitching, but based on Morosi's information, Dombrowski and his front office are looking at all options to ensure this group can win the World Series.