Where Do Philadelphia Phillies Stand Heading Into Trade Deadline?

The Philadelphia Phillies have struggled lately, but there's no need to panic (yet).

Jul 28, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Edmundo Sosa loses sight of the ball. / Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports

Most Philadelphia Phillies fans would agree that their team hasn't played its best baseball lately.

The Phillies lost again on Sunday, falling 4-3 in their series finale against the Cleveland Guardians. They've now lost four straight series since sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers earlier this month, going 4-8 with a minus-10 run differential over their last 12 games. It's been Philadelpia's worst stretch of the season so far, especially with Ranger Suarez going on the injured list with a back injury.

And yet, the Phillies are still in pretty good shape. They still have the best record in baseball at 65-40 and hold an 8.5-game lead over the Atlanta Braves in the NL East. They've also recently gotten back some key players from injury, including Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto.

The Phillies have lost four straight series…Oakland, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, Cleveland.

They’ve increased their lead in the NL East by a game over those 16 days.

— Luke Arcaini (@ArcainiLuke) July 28, 2024

Philadelphia has already been aggressively adding talent leading up to Tuesday's trade deadline, addressing its two biggest needs by acquiring an outfielder (Austin Hays) and a closer (Carlos Estevez). The front office may not be done, either.

In other words, the Phillies should be fine, regardless of whether or not they do anything else at the deadline. They probably just need a little time to integrate their new players and bring their old ones back into the fold.

Philadelphia hasn't had the easiest schedule lately, either, opening the second half with a six-game road trip coming out of the All-Star Break. The Guardians and Minnesota Twins are good teams, so there's no shame in losing series to them. The Phillies might also still be trying to get their groove back after sending a franchise record eight players to Texas for the All-Star Game.

Philadelphia needs to get back on track soon, however, as its schedule is only about to get tougher. The New York Yankees are next up, followed by a 10-game road trip against the Dodgers, Seattle Mariners and Arizona Diamondbacks. If the Phillies still haven't gotten their mojo back, then it might be time to hit the panic button.