The Phillies’ Flaws Run Deeper Than the Trade Deadline

When the calendar flipped over to July, talks about the trade deadline began to grow. As the month continues and soon comes to an end, the talks became more heated and all over.

When the month began for the Phillies, their issues were made clear: get a bat, a high-leverage arm, and a fifth starter to get you through the rest of the regular season.

Unfortunately, as the first two weeks out of the All-Star break have shown, these trades being solved will do nothing for the Phillies.

What the four series since the All-Star break have shown is that this team lacks genuine fundamentals. They lack the ability to win games if they can’t outslug an opponent. Few bullpen arms are reliable, and since everyone on the field is human, even the reliable arms sometimes have bad days.

The woes began with a series loss to the rival New York Mets; frustrating, but nothing that genuinely sets a team’s season in stone.

Then, they welcomed the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers. A series that showed the Phillies are unable to beat teams if they don’t outslug. The difference between Los Angeles and Philly is not talent; it’s the ability to play fundamental baseball.

Afterwards, the New York Yankees came to town. An even worse offensive showing, another brutal appearance against an elite starter, showing the Phillies slugging doesn’t even work against the top arms in the league.

The Magnum Opus of this poor second half was a devastating and all-around atrocious series sweep in Miami. A sweep that came against a Marlins team that had lost 12 straight heading into the series, and all signs were pointing to going from buyers to sellers. Three games later, the Marlins are back into possibly buying.

The clearest example of what the Phillies’ issues are right now is what Bryce Harper said to reporters after the Phillies had been walked off Tuesday night against the Marlins: “I think we need some help.”

What Harper showed in that one sentence is a recognition that this Phillies team is not good enough to contend against the top teams of the league, and the players in the clubhouse currently aren’t able to change for the better.

It’s obvious the Phillies are not currently good enough to contend; that’s why they plan to bring in players at the deadline.

But why can’t the players make positive changes to be better? Why are the Phillies not being more patient at the plate to walk more and raise the league’s worst on-base percentage? Why can’t any of the right-handed bats play consistently good baseball? Why are the three nine-figure players at the top of the lineup not playing to a nine-figure standard?

There are multiple hypotheses: the players are too stubborn, the players don’t actually care, the coaches are bad, the team just isn’t good.

No matter the answer, this is clear.

“You should always incrementally try to get better no matter who you are,” interim manager Don Mattingly said, “you’re always trying to get better”.

Mattingly is not wrong; that is something that any team is supposed to do, and he made that clear. Unfortunately for the players on the roster, they seem to no longer attempt to continuously get better.

Now Mattingly is not sinless here. He has done a poor job as of late, to put the most positive spin possible, on the management of the bullpen. In several games with Aaron Nola starting, Mattingly has let Nola in too long or not long enough, and issues arise because of it. In the series finale Wednesday against the Marlins, Mattingly kept Jesus Luzardo in so long that even with a six-run lead, the tying run gets put into scoring position. And in a high-leverage spot with a two-run lead, brings in Seth Johnson, who ended up coughing up the lead. The Phillies went on to get swept with a final score of 8-6 after a 6-0 lead.

What this shows is that everyone has a problem that needs to be fixed; from Dave Dombrowski to the players to the coaches. It is a top-to-bottom issue.

For things to change this season. This season meaning no, coaches won’t be fired right now, Dombrowski will still have a job, and the playoff-contending Phillies won’t sell.

What it does mean, to an extent, is we have to expect the same things at the deadline. The top prospects in the system will not be traded, especially not for the top names being sold off. It does mean solid players will be brought in; as criticized as Dombrowski has been, his deadline moves at the time they were made have not been.

The Phillies are playoff contenders; it is still very unlikely to press the panic button that they’ll miss the playoffs. However, unless the team makes internal changes, we are currently watching a sinking boat and expecting the duct tape Dombrowski puts on the holes will finally win it all.

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