Phillies Have Clear Need to Address Before MLB Trade Deadline

What is the top need for the Philadelphia Phillies before the trade deadline?

May 12, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies interim manager Don Mattingly (8) exits the mound during the game against the Boston Red Sox in the eighth inning at Fenway Park. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

Following a tough week for the Philadelphia Phillies, the team was able to bounce back nicely on Memorial Day with a shutout win over the San Diego Padres on the road. 

After getting over the .500 mark, the Phillies slipped up last week, losing both of their series to the Cincinnati Reds and the Cleveland Guardians. Considering the team had won six straight series leading up to that game, losing both series at home was a major disappointment. 

However, while Philadelphia may have slipped up, they were able to get back on track on Monday. Against the Padres, they received a great start from Jesus Luzardo. The southpaw went six scoreless innings in the win, helping set the tone for the team. 

Furthermore, with a great performance by Luzardo, the offense didn’t need to do much in this one. Both Kyle Schwarber and Brandon Marsh hit home runs and then came away with a 3-0 win. 

While the shutout win was nice, the struggles from the week prior once again have created concern about the offense needing help. The right-handed bats for the Phillies simply aren’t getting the job done, and if they are going to reach their goals this year, they need help. 

Phillies Have Clear Need to Address Before MLB Trade Deadline

Philadelphia Phillies right fielder Adolis Garcia | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Due to the struggles of the right-handed hitters for the team and especially their production against southpaws, the clear need for Philadelphia is to get a right-handed hitter for the middle of the order. 

Recently, it has been Alec Bohm batting cleanup to split up the left-handed sluggers for the team that has performed well. While Bohm has been better of late, the numbers still aren’t good overall, and he will have to continue to perform well to get those turned around following a terrible start. 

While the need might be clear for the Phillies, the solution is going to be challenging. Landing a bat for the middle of the order at the trade deadline is not easy, and they really need it to be a right-handed hitter. With the struggles of the Minnesota Twins and Los Angeles Angels, perhaps going for a major splash and trying to land a Mike Trout or Byron Buxton could be the answer. 

Overall, if Philadelphia is going to be a true contender, they need to bring in at least one bat to improve their lineup. The pitching staff is World Series-caliber right now, but the batting order is lagging behind.