2 trades Phillies must make to upset Braves in NL East

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2 trades Phillies must make to upset Braves in NL East

Douglas Fritz, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Thu, Jul 2, 2026 ·

4 min read

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On a long roll, the Philadelphia Phillies continue to find ways to win. But a trade deadline deal might still be in the cards . And here are two trades the Phillies must make to upset the Braves in the NL East.

The Phillies have been chasing down the Braves for quite some time. They still trail but have cut it from 9.5 games to 2.5 heading into Thursday's contests. And they're still charging hard.

But what does the team need to pass the Braves and leave them in the dust?

Phillies must trade for OF Taylor Ward

The Phillies don't need to revamp their lineup. They simply need consistent production. And Ward has delivered in every area except major power this season.

He has only five homers, but his .379 on-base percentage carries a lot of weight. Ward's high walk rate is part of what looks like a real deal this year, according to ESPN.

"Ward has been very consistent, offering above-average offensive value for the sixth year in a row," Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan wrote. "His defensive value is slipping into the fringy-but-fine area, while his spike in walk rate has helped make up for his drop in barrel rate. The components for power are still here, so I think his power numbers will get some positive regression in the second half.

"That said, Ward is a player whom the acquiring team is probably happy doesn't come with a multiyear commitment, both to lower the price in prospects and also because he has turned into a different player for the first half of 2026 than the one the O's acquired in the winter."

However, Ward may need to get more aggressive in the second half of the season, according to MLB Network via roundtable.io.

"Well, I want to be supportive of a leadoff hitter getting on base at nearly a 40% clip," former All-Star Joey Votto said. "That's not nothing. That's important to the team. There's a transaction there, as you notice. There's a very clear transaction. Is that predictive of every other player that attempts that? No, not necessarily.

"But in baseball, specifically in hitting, nothing's for free. Nothing's for free. And I beg the question: How sustainable is the on-base if pitchers are feeling the lack of slug, the lack of threat? You have to, at all times, feel like a threat."

Phillies must trade for RP Aroldis Chapman

The Phillies have one of the best closers in baseball in Jhoan Duran . He has been lights out. However, the surrounding cast hasn't been nearly as effective.

Adding a left-handed power arm like Chapman would be the perfect complement. And even at the advanced age of 38, Chapman is still bringing the heat, strikeouts, and saves.

"This (scouting report) has read the same for about 15 years," McDaniel and Passan wrote. "Chapman sits in the upper-90s and tickles triple digits throwing about 75% fastballs, now both a four-seamer and sinker. He'll mix in enough sliders (often out of the zone) to keep hitters honest and the occasional splitter against righties. He just keeps throwing hard into his late-30s and getting people out with basically one pitch."

Crazy, for sure. But this is exactly what the Phillies need to steady their bullpen. Chapman will very likely become baseball's all-time leader in relief pitcher strikeouts in his next appearance , according to a post on X by Chris Cotillo.

" Aroldis Chapman ties the record for most strikeouts by a reliever in MLB history. He had 1,363, just like Hoyt Wilhelm."

The Red Sox are dead last in the AL East. They have no reason to keep Chapman if they can get a nice trade haul for him. Rebuilding should be a Red Sox priority this year.

And the Phillies would have a lock on games where they enter the eighth inning with a lead. Plus, if they wanted to stretch Chapman and Duran for a couple of extra outs each in the postseason, they would have three innings of coverage.

It makes a lot of sense for the Phillies to fortify their bullpen. And they need it to run past the Braves.

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