The trade deadline is officially over and the Phillies made significant additions, in hopes to bring an end to an 11 year postseason drought.
Hours before the deadline on Tuesday afternoon, The Phils picked up center fielder Brandon Marsh and starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard from the Los Angeles Angels, and reliever David Robertson from the Chicago Cubs.
Marsh comes to the Phils as a top defender in center field, a position that the Phillies desperately need to solidify. According to Phils Insider Jim Salisbury, the 24 year-old is a “former second-round draft pick of the Angels.”
Syndergaard, also known as “Thor” throughout the MLB, will move into the starting rotation, taking the place of the injured Zach Eflin.
Throughout his career, the righty has a 52-39 career record, 3.37 ERA, and 1.167 WHIP. Though his fastball has slowed up over the years, in 2022 his velocity sits around 94-95 MPH.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski commented, “We think he can be effective in a five- or six-inning role…We weren’t looking for a No. 1 guy. We weren’t in that market.”
David Robertson joins the Phillies bullpen with a 2.23 ERA and 14 saves, through 36 games with the Cubs this season. This will add depth to the pen, which has been hit or miss in 2022.
Last weekend, the Phillies also acquired shortstop Edmundo Sosa from the St. Louis Cardinals for RHP Jojo Romero.
According to Phils Insider Jim Salisbury, The Cardinals used Sosa as a utility man on the bench, and is hitting just .188./.244/.270 this season. However in 2021, Sosa was the Cards starting shortstop, and hit .271/.346/.389 through 113 games.
Why did the front office decide to pick up Sosa? In my opinion, I’m not exactly sure. Yes, it is important to have key utility players on the bench, however the Phillies already have their “go-to guys” in Yairo Munoz and Johan Camargo. Additionally, Bryson Stott has proved to be an excellent clutch hitter and defender during his rookie season.
Stott has played in place of the injured Jean Segura at second base, however will he get playing time once Segura returns later this week? Possibly, since Stott’s natural position is shortstop, but what happens to veteran Didi Gregorious? These questions will be answered as the season progresses.
Looking ahead, the Phillies have a NL East Division heavy schedule coming up, with most games in August against the Mets, Braves, Nats, and Marlins.
The real test comes in September, when the Phils head to San Francisco to face the Giants in a three game series. Depending on the Wild Card standings at the time, this could be a make or break series.
Right now, the Phillies are 4.5 games ahead of the Giants in the Wild Card; however, in a month, will the standings grow tighter between the two teams? Only time will tell.
