Why Phillies might feel forced to be buyers at MLB trade deadline

The Philadelphia Phillies are heading towards the MLB trade deadline with a need in the starting rotation, the bullpen, and in the outfield with a right-handed hitter.

All of those needs cannot go unaddressed if this team want's to seriously contend for a World Series this season. With the team's recent struggles on top of that, it might not seem that outrageous if the Phillies were sellers this summer.

That is, as The Athletic's Jim Bowden notes, if it weren't for the presence of Bryce Harper, Zack Wheeler, and other veterans on the roster, the Phillies owe it to make one more push for a World Series title by buying at the deadline.

Phillies 'owe it' to veterans to act as buyers at trade deadline

"It's a great question, but I believe the Phillies owe it to Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, Zack Wheeler, Jesus Luzardo and Cristopher Sanchez to make one last push at the deadline," Bowden writes.

As much as the team's recent struggles have made Phillies fans feel pessimistic about the team's chances to make a deep postseason run, the way the team is structured, there's not really a choice at the deadline.

With how much is invested into this team, the Phillies cannot in good faith sell this summer. It would be a waste of the final years of Wheeler's career and of this team being together.

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Jhoan Duran, Bryson Stott, Brandon Marsh, and others will be gone after the 2027 season. That's when the Phillies can make their decision to rebuild if it really comes to it.

But, for now, at the 2026 MLB trade deadline, Bowden doesn't believe there's any chance the Phillies sell with how the team owes it to their veteran players to go for it.

Sure, there are a few glaring issues with the team, but if the Phillies make the postseason and the team gets hot at the right time, they will have a real chance of making a deep run this Fall.

That chance, and the veterans on the roster, make it so the Phillies have no choice but to buy at the MLB trade deadline this summer.

More MLB news:

• Yankees are ‘leading candidate’ to trade for Twins’ Ryan Jeffers
• Red Sox ‘would love’ to trade for Angels’ Zach Neto or Astros’ Jeremy Pena
• Padres likely not to trade Mason Miller amid latest update
• Tigers expected to trade Tarik Skubal but still try to contend without him
• Mets ‘desperate’ to trade Luis Robert Jr. after trade failure