The Phillies are “preserving a detailed eye on” A’s outfielder Brent Rooker forward of the commerce deadline, based on USA Immediately’s Bob Nightengale.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski urged final month that the membership might look so as to add solely modestly forward of the commerce deadline on July 30, and highlighted the bullpen as an space the place the crew may stand to enhance. That’s to not say the Phillies gained’t make any additions outdoors of reduction assist this summer season, nevertheless. The membership’s 58-31 file getting into play as we speak affords them one of the best successful share in baseball, leaving them well-positioned to push for the membership’s first World Sequence championship since 2008 this October.
That doesn’t imply the membership lacks holes, nevertheless, and outfield manufacturing is arguably one of many greatest. With Bryce Harper having moved to first base on a full-time foundation and Kyle Schwarber now in an on a regular basis DH function, the lefty sluggers which have labored the outfield corners for the Phillies lately have now vacated the outfield grass. Brandon Marsh has carried out properly when wholesome, slashing .265/.346/.414 with a 116 wRC+ whereas splitting time between all three outfield spots, and veteran slugger Nick Castellanos has begun to warmth up in latest weeks and figures to proceed appearing because the membership’s on a regular basis proper fielder.
With that being mentioned, every of Johan Rojas, Cristian Pache, and Whit Merrifield have all disenchanted offensively this season. Whereas Rojas and Pache each supply helpful defensive in middle subject and Merrifield’s versatility makes him a helpful bench participant, none have posted a wRC+ increased than 60 this yr regardless of taking almost 500 mixed at-bats for the Phillies. That’s led the membership to resort to utilizing journeyman David Dahl as a left-handed complement to the trio of righties, however whereas he received off to a scorching begin in a Phillies uniform earlier this yr he’s fallen again to Earth and now sports activities a meager .207/.242/.397 (75 wRC+) slash line in 19 video games with Philadelphia.
It’s simple to see how Rooker can be an ideal match for the membership’s outfield combine. The 29-year-old first broke out with the A’s final yr with a 127 wRC+ in 137 video games, however he’s taken his offense to a different degree to date within the 2024 marketing campaign. In 313 journeys to the plate with the membership this yr, Rooker has slashed a implausible .277/.351/.540 with a wRC+ of 153. Whereas that manufacturing has include a hard 32.9% strikeout charge, Rooker has made up for it with a robust 9.9% stroll charge and the seventh-highest remoted slugging share within the majors.
Whereas .371 BABIP this season is probably going too excessive to be fully sustainable, superior metrics are usually shopping for in on his total manufacturing as his .378 xwOBA is a close to match for his .380 wOBA, suggesting that any regression in BABIP needs to be made up for by his eye-popping 16.4% barrel charge as long as he manages to maintain his elite contact high quality up going ahead. That’s notably essential for Rooker provided that the breakout journeyman entered the yr with simply over two years of service time below his belt. He’s making simply over the league minimal this yr and would include three extra seasons of crew management after this one earlier than turning into a free agent following the 2027 season.
That’s a timeline that traces up properly with the present window in Philadelphia. Veteran ace Zack Wheeler simply signed an extension that will even finish following the 2027 season, and children Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott are each additionally slated to hit free company following that marketing campaign. In the meantime stars Bryce Harper, Aaron Nola, and Trea Turner will all be getting into this mid-30’s at that time and complementary items of the present core like Schwarber, Castellanos, and J.T. Realmuto may have seen their contracts expire. That Rooker’s years of management line up so cleanly with Philadelphia’s present window of rivalry may make him all of the extra engaging to the Phillies.
With that being mentioned, it’s value declaring that the membership might produce other prioritizes forward of the commerce deadline this yr. As beforehand talked about, Dombrowski has highlighted a need to enhance the membership’s bullpen this summer season previously, and he additionally cautioned final month that the membership wasn’t prone to pursue the kind of blockbuster commerce the place the membership must “commerce three prime prospects” to amass a participant.
Reduction assist isn’t the one different want the membership might look to handle this summer season, both. The membership entered the summer season with one thing of a humiliation of riches within the rotation that compelled Spencer Turnbull right into a bullpen function regardless of a 1.67 ERA in six begins again in April, however since then each Taijuan Walker and Turnbull have hit the injured listing, leaving the membership to depend on rookie Michael Mercado to fill out the membership’s rotation behind Wheeler, Nola, Ranger Suarez and Cristopher Sanchez. With Turnbull not anticipated again till late August on the earliest and Walker missing a particular timeline for return, it’s potential the Phillies may look so as to add a pitcher able to serving to the membership both out of the rotation or bullpen relying on their wants at that second.
Rooker additionally isn’t the one outfielder anticipated to be accessible on the deadline this yr, with White Sox veteran Tommy Pham standing out as a rental choice who would possible show cheaper to amass than Rooker if the Phillies are involved with the prospect value concerned in buying the A’s outfielder. Kevin Pillar of the Angels, Mark Canha of the Tigers, and Jesse Winker of the Nationals are among the many different rental veterans enjoying for groups who may take into account promoting this summer season and would possible value the Phillies lower than a controllable asset like Rooker.
