Phillies fans get brutal trade deadline report with Austin Hays, Harrison Bader comparison

The Philadelphia Phillies are eight games back of the Atlanta Braves, which is a testament to a resurgence after starting 9-19 this season.

Things are going much better, but they still lost Adolis Garcia to a likely season-ending injury recently, and they now need to add a new outfielder more than ever. But the question is, how far do they go at the trade deadline?

Unfortunately, Todd Zolecki on 97.5 The Fanatic shared an update on the Phillies trade deadline that revealed the outfielder they're likely to add is expected to be similar to Austin Hays or Harrison Bader.

Phillies' expected OF trade target is not what fans want to hear

"I feel like it's another [Harrison] Bader, Austin Hays type trade," Zolecki said. "If you look at the Phillies farm system, they're not terribly deep. Especially since [Andrew] Painter and [Justin] from prospect status. They don't have a lot of big names. If I had an everyday impact right-handed bat, that conversation starts with Gage Wood... They're in a tough spot and that's why I do think it's more of a Bader type of guy, it's more of an Austin Hays type of guy."

This update from Zolecki is absolutely brutal for Phillies fans, as it looks more likely this team will wind up with a lesser outfielder at the deadline than some of the top options.

Mike Trout and Byron Buxton seem incredibly unlikely based on this report, and even Seiya Suzuki, Taylor Ward, and Jo Adell might not be fits for the Phillies.

Their farm system just isn't good enough to bring in a talented hitting outfielder who wouldn't cost the Phillies all of their top prospects.

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They might have the means to pursue a top option, but it would cost Gage Wood, a pitcher the Phillies seemingly don't want to trade based on this report.

Zolecki's update on the Phillies trade deadline plan, with someone of the Austin Hays or Harrison Bader tier of outfield rental bats, is incredible disasppointing.

While Bader wasn't terrible for the Phillies last year, posting 1.3 bWAR in 50 games with an .824, Hays was a total disaster, posting -0.4 bWAR in 22 games with a .672. OPS.

The Phillies might need to add a right-handed hitting outfielder, and plan to do so this season. But Zolecki's report indicates that such an upgrade will be someone like Hays or Bader, and not a Buxton, Trout, or even Suzuki-tier outfield trade target.

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