Philadelphia Phillies Top Target ‘Unlikely’ to Be Traded During Deadline

The Philadelphia Phillies superstar trade target isn't expected to be traded before the deadline.

Jul 27, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox outfielder Luis Robert Jr. (88) slides safely into home plate against the Seattle Mariners during the third inning at Guaranteed Rate Field. / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have already made some moves to better their roster. Still, there's a great chance that they add more. They're reportedly in the mix for relief pitching, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, but he didn't mention them as a suitor for another outfielder.

"The Philadelphia Phillies continue to search for additional relief help, even after acquiring Carlos Estévez from the Angels."

Rosenthal's report that they're still looking for relievers makes sense, as the Phillies could look to add one or even two more, depending on the price. Having an elite bullpen in October is important, perhaps more than anything else.

However, despite the move for Austin Hays, Philadelphia could still use help in the outfield. Hays is a very good professional, but if they can find someone who can play center field every game, it might not be a bad idea to address that need, too.

After making two trades, they still have plenty of assets to move, so the chances of landing a star like Luis Robert Jr. is certainly possible. Robert has question marks as a player due to his health, but his fit would make perfect sense for this ball club.

However, according to Francys Romero, the Chicago White Sox are unlikely to move him at this point.

The decision not to move Robert makes sense from the White Sox's perspective, as he's a young star who could be their franchise player for the foreseeable future. While Chicago has struggled in a big way and has already started to unload some of their top talent, Robert's situation is much different than some of their other trade candidates.

Only 26 years old and on a relatively cheap, six-year, $50 million deal, the White Sox have control of him until 2026 for a great price.

It's always possible that a team like the Phillies offers them a package they can't refuse, but that might not happen after trading for Hays. Never say never, but they could be happy with what they have in the lineup as currently constructed.

The idea of landing Robert is an exciting one, as he showed what he could do last season. He played in more than 98 games for the first time in his career, slashing .264/.315/.542 with 38 home runs and an OPS+ of 130.

Adding that to a Philadelphia lineup that might be the best in baseball would make them the clear favorites in the National League.