In a season where nearly everything has gone right on the scoreboard, the Philadelphia Phillies have one obvious weakness.
The Phillies have struggled to find production from their center fielders all season long. Johan Rojas, who was given the first crack at the starting gig, never got it going, leading to a brief demotion to Triple-A.
Beyond Rojas, the Phillies have Cristian Pache, who has never proven himself a capable big-league starter. Then there's Brandon Marsh, who is an ideal platoon left fielder but doesn't seem to be Philadelphia's preferred solution to the center field problem.
Fortunately, help may be on the way. But that help is contingent on a division rival trading the Phillies one of their most electric and productive players.
There is a growing belief that the Miami Marlins plan to trade center fielder Jazz Chisholm, as was first reported by Craig Mish of The Miami Herald. On Tuesday, Levi Weaver of The Athletic hinted that the Phillies need to "get greedy" and push to acquire Chisholm.
Chisholm, 26, has 2.5 remaining years of team control. He's a bonafide power-speed threat, with 26 home runs and 32 steals per 162 games in his five-year career. But he's also struggled to stay healthy and has had some dust-ups with veterans in the Miami clubhouse.
Weaver also notes that Phillies general manager Dave Dombrowski has a "solid history of picking up spark-plug role players who shine in October."
Though Chisholm made the 2022 National League All-Star team as a second baseman, a move to Philadelphia would likely require him to remain in center field, where he has worked diligently on his defense.
Chisholm was worth four outs above average in center field in 2023, making him an 87th-percentile defender. He's at zero this season, still good for the 55th percentile.
Ultimately, the Phillies have a key decision to make. Should they roll with the roster they currently have, with maybe a bullpen facelift or two? Or should they shake things up and bring in an outsider in Chisholm, who has the potential to be dynamic and a wild card personality?
It's a difficult question, no doubt about it. But these decisions are the foundations on which championship runs are built.
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