Remember the Phillies at the start of the season? The powerhouse that went toe-to-toe with the Mets in the NL East, racking up record-breaking wins? Their hot start made them look unstoppable. But just as the momentum peaked, the wheels started to fall off. A shocking slump followed, nine losses in eleven games, leaving fans stunned. Sure, they broke the slide with a surprise win over the Cubs, but the cracks are real. And at the heart of this sudden collapse? The absence of key pillars like Bryce Harper and José Alvarado. If the Phillies want to stay in the fight, the time for waiting is over; they need to act now.
Some unexpected events have come together to create a perfect roster mess for the Philadelphia Phillies. On May 18, Alvarado was suspended for 80 games for using PEDs. The star pitcher’s absence was already a blow, but things got worse on June 7, when their first baseman, Bryce Harper, was placed on the 10-day injured list. Even if he returns healthy, something the team desperately needs, the issues still run deeper. They weren’t exactly their best even with Harper, and now, with the trade deadline closing in, strengthening the bullpen may be their only option.
According to Ken Rosenthal, the Phillies should seek help from outside. “It still seems that maybe this team, which is largely set, could use something from the outside that would elevate it,” he said on the show Foul Territory in conversation with the host, Erik Kratz. “I don’t know who that player is, but sometimes a deadline addition can have that galvanizing kind of force. If they can go out and get the right left fielder, the right center fielder, that seems to me to be the kind of play that they should make.” He’s absolutely right, what the Phillies need now is a powerful boos in the lineup.
“I don’t know who that player is, but sometimes a deadline addition can have that galvanizing kind of force.”@Ken_Rosenthal explores how the Phillies can benefit from the trade deadline. pic.twitter.com/BwOROlSlpI
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 10, 2025
If Harper wasn’t sidelined with concerning right wrist inflammation, he’d still be swinging like the true force he is. He was hitting .258 with nine home runs and 34 RBIs. It’s clear as day that the 32-year-old veteran’s absence has left a huge void in the team. And Alvarado? He had a 2.70 ERA over his last 20 games. He was their top reliever, recording 25 strikeouts and seven saves before the suspension. Unfortunately, even after his return, he’ll be ineligible to play in the playoffs. But, guess what? Even while Harper was active, the Phillies struggled offensively in left and center field. So it’s obvious, they need bullpen help.
Getting Harper back and strengthening the team should be top priorities for the Phillies as they plan their comeback. They are currently 38–28, sitting second in the NL East behind the Mets. To break out of this sudden slump, they need some realistic change, and very soon. Analysts are scrambling to list all the lineup options the Phillies can consider. According to one such analyst, Baltimore’s Ryan O’Hearn might be the fix.
Orioles’ O’Hearn could be the Phillies’ answer
Harper is the heart and soul of the Phillies team. Considering the severity of his injury, it’s possible he returns before the trade deadline. But the Phillies can still benefit from a left fielder who can also cover first base. And there’s one player still holding steady on the struggling Orioles, Ryan O’Hearn. Even as the team turned into the bottom dwellers of the AL East with a 26–38 record, he still managed to shine. The versatility O’Hearn brings could refresh the Phillies roster, according to Drew VonScio.
“O’Hearn’s presence would give the Phillies a huge lineup boost to fill Harper’s place at first base. When the superstar returns from injury, it gives Rob Thomson some flexibility in the lineup,” VonScio wrote in Newsweek. “O’Hearn is having a career season with the Orioles this year, posting a 158 OPS+ in a season where Baltimore has been desperate for any sort of positivity. Outside of him, though, the O’s haven’t had much success, which has led to him becoming available at the trade deadline,” he added. That’s right, he may be the only bright spot in the Orioles’ lineup.
How good is he, though? O’Hearn is batting .316 with a .897 OPS across 54 games this season. He also has nine home runs and 24 RBIs. The 31-year-old lefty’s manageable $8 million salary makes him an even better fit. O’Hearn could slide right into the Phillies’ lineup and provide a backup plan if Harper’s rehab doesn’t go as expected. The Phillies definitely have options from every angle; all they need now is to analyze, choose, and make the deal.
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