The Philadelphia Phillies are eyeing upgrades before the trade deadline hits in less than two weeks, and they’re not thinking small.
Sure, the Phillies need rotation depth – everyone knows that fifth starter spot could use an upgrade. But rival executives think Dave Dombrowski might be setting his sights higher than just another arm.
Way higher.
According to Katie Woo, Patrick Mooney, and Will Sammon of The Athletic, rival MLB executives believe the Phillies will make a serious run at Tarik Skubal if Detroit puts him on the market.
“But considering the collective age of their core players – and Dave Dombrowski’s penchant for going all-in – rival executives assume the Phillies have interest in Skubal.”
One National League executive didn’t mince words about Dombrowski’s approach.
“I don’t put anything past Dombrowski. He will be in it. I don’t know if he has the chips. But I don’t put it past him.”
That’s the thing about Dombrowski – he’s not exactly known for playing it safe when he sees an opportunity. Last year’s Jhoan Duran trade with Minnesota worked out pretty well, even if it wasn’t quite at the Skubal level.
The Challenge
Here’s where it gets tricky. The Phillies’ farm system isn’t their strongest asset right now, and Skubal won’t come cheap. Detroit’s going to want a haul for their Cy Young caliber lefty, and Philadelphia might not have the prospect capital to get it done.
But that won’t stop them from trying.
Think about what adding Skubal would mean for this rotation. You’d have him alongside Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, and Jesus Luzardo, with Aaron Nola sliding into that fifth spot. That’s not just an upgrade – that’s potentially the best rotation in baseball.
The Athletics’ report suggests rival executives genuinely believe Dombrowski will make his push if Skubal becomes available. And given how this front office operates when they smell a championship window, it makes sense.
This isn’t just speculation about what the Phillies *should* do. Industry insiders think it’s what they *will* do, assuming Detroit decides to sell and the price doesn’t get completely out of hand.
Whether they’ve got the pieces to make it happen – that’s another question entirely. But knowing Dombrowski’s track record, he’s probably already working the phones to find out.
