Marlins, Phillies Could Pull off Huge Trade That Would Shift the NL East

The Miami Marlins will absolutely be open for business before the MLB trade deadline, and the Philadelphia Phillies will almost certainly be aggressive buyers.

The Phillies have various needs, and while bullpen help may be their biggest one, they could also use some help in their outfield, which has actually been pretty dreadful this season.

More specifically, Philadelphia's center field situation has been disastrous, with Brandon Marsh owning a .700 OPS and Johan Rojas slashing a paltry .230/.282/.310.

The Marlins struck a trade with the Phillies during the offseason, sending starting pitcher Jesus Luzardo to the City of Brotherly Love, so Miami would surely have no issue dealing with its NL East rival yet again.

Taking that into consideration, Philadelphia would be remiss not to place a call to South Beach with the intention of inquiring about outfielder Dane Myers, who is emerging as one of the top potential position players potentially available between now and July 31.

Myers — who actually left the Marlins' Monday night loss to the Phillies after being hit by a pitch — is exactly what the Phils need: a strong outfield glove that can also bring some much-needed electricity to the lineup. The 29-year-old is slashing .333/.381/.481 with eight stolen bases in 2025, so he would comprise a substantial upgrade over most of the team's outfielders.

Philadelphia doesn't have to stop there, either. It can try to pull off a package deal with the Marlins and also try to pry away relief pitcher Anthony Bender, knocking out two big needs in one fell swoop.

Bender is slated to be one of the best relievers on the trade block in the coming weeks, as he owns a 2.54 ERA in 29 appearances this year.

Miami would definitely be looking for a rather gaudy return for Myers, who is under team control for the foreseeable future and is clearly a valuable two-way player. But the Phillies, desperate for a World Series run, may be willing to part with what the Fish desire.

Given the age of both Myers and Bender (the latter of whom is 30), there really is no reason for the Marlins not to cash in on both players, and while jettisoning them in separate deals is probably the best way to collect the most value possible, Miami may be able to take advantage of a division rival here, slapping the Phils with an NL East tax knowing that they are in dire need of both pieces.

And let's be honest: it's not like the Marlins are trading Miguel Cabrera or Giancarlo Stanton here. Sending Myers and Bender to a divisional foe would not be the end of the world, and it makes perfect sense for the Philadelphia, which is chasing the New York Mets in the division.

A move like this would greatly bolster the Phillies' chances of catching the Mets.

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