This article was originally published as part of Verducci’s View, a new weekly baseball newsletter from Sports Illustrated senior writer Tom Verducci. Every Monday, Tom empties out his notebook over email and covers MLB’s hottest topics, provides in-depth analysis through both text and video breakdowns, looks forward to what’s worth watching during the week and more. If you want to be featured in his new mailbag, please email [email protected] with any questions about MLB or his decades in the sport.
The Phillies have been resurgent under manager Don Mattingly (32–16), who had the fortunate timing of replacing Rob Thomson just as Philadelphia’s schedule grew softer and Zack Wheeler was coming off the injured list. But there is no contender who has a more glaring need to fill before the Aug. 3 trade deadline. The Phillies need a right-handed hitting outfielder.
