It’s obvious that the Philadelphia Phillies need to add a better right-handed hitter as the MLB trade deadline draws near.
Finding a full-time replacement for Brandon Marsh and a possible center field platoon would be great, so the outfield will be the main focus. However, there aren’t many possibilities, so it might be wiser to hunt for upgrades elsewhere.
This is where Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer’s prediction comes into play. He believes the Phillies will make a huge acquisition of Matt Chapman, a $151 million third baseman and Alec Bohm’s replacement from the San Francisco Giants.
Phillies predicted to trade for Matt Chapman from Giants
“Philadelphia Phillies (43-36): They’ll get Matt Chapman from the Giants,” Rymer forecasts. “… Plus, getting Chapman from the Giants could be as simple as agreeing to swallow the last four years of his $151 million contract.”
More offensive firepower, particularly from the right side of the bat, is what the Phillies need. A righty slugger would be more beneficial than another lefty.
Chapman, who has recently been a fantastic slugger for the Giants with a.281 hitting average and a.981 OPS with six home runs and 23 RBIs in June, is a good fit.
On paper, Chapman would be a good addition, but there are a number of problems with Rymer’s possible trade projection.
First off, given the Phillies’ massive expenditure on Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and other players, it would not be wise for them to spend that much money on Chapman.
Chapman owes the Phillies about $100 million over the next four years, or $25 million annually, which is a lot of money to spend on another veteran.
Even if Chapman is superior to Bohm and would be a significant improvement over the failing homegrown Phillies veteran, the expense of adding Chapman—whether it be in terms of trade capital or financial commitment—makes this move much more difficult to complete.
In theory, Rymer’s forecast would be entertaining, but adding Chapman would be a huge gamble that isn’t really worth taking, particularly if the Phillies agree to take on Chapman’s whole contract.
