Philadelphia Phillies Could Target Angels First Round Draft Pick in Trade

With the trade deadline around the corner, the Philadelphia Phillies could have their eye on a former first round talent.

May 25, 2024; Anaheim, California, USA; Los Angeles Angels outfielder Taylor Ward (3) hits a three-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the third inning at Angel Stadium | Jonathan Hui-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies are certainly going to be buyers ahead of the trade deadline.

The only question is what positions they'll target.

Bullpen arms are always a possibility for any contending team no matter how good of a unit is already in place, so it wouldn't be surprising to see the Phillies add a backend arm.

However, there was an interesting report that said they have been looking at potential outfield options.

With Johan Rojas not quite finding consistency at the plate, Nick Castellanos having a down year, and Brandon Marsh currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, there is a chance Dave Dombrowski could look to bring in an extra option.

If that's the case, that likely means they would have to do something with Cristian Pache, who has performed well during his limited opportunities, and demote David Dahl, who also has impressed since being called up.

Ultimately, the play of the current outfield group will dictate what Philadelphia does before the deadline, and if Dombrowski feels like he needs to bring in another option, then Jon Heyman of The New York Post thinks they could give Taylor Ward a look.

The former first round pick of the Los Angeles Angels back in 2015 hasn't quite had the career that many expected when getting selected No. 26 overall.

Still, he's been solid for the Angels throughout his seven-year career with a slash line of .254/.333/.431, 64 homers, 203 RBI and an OPS+ of 110.

Ward would almost certainly be brought in to be an offensive threat off the bench as his offensive bWAR sits 7.8 in his career and 1.2 this season.

He's under team control through 2026, so he would likely cost the Phillies a good amount to obtain, but they know he would be part of the roster moving forward if he's able to perform.