Phillies Trade Deadline Review: Stop acting like Jhoan Duran and Harrison Bader aren’t enough to make this team legitimate contenders

The MLB Trade Deadline has officially brought out the worst in Phillies fans on social media. I really don’t understand why, but we should probably start this post by saying that the Philadelphia Phillies have all the talent in the world to be a legitimate contender to win the 2025 World Series.

Baseball is still baseball. The Phillies have to show up down the stretch and ride that momentum straight into Red October. It’s always been about getting hot at the right time. Just look at what the New York Mets did last year.

That wasn’t a great team. They did get hot however, and that allowed them to ride that wave the whole way to the NLCS.

Point being, the formula for the MLB postseason hasn’t changed. It has always been about being hot at the right time. It is what it is.

Phillies fans don’t realize that. I have no idea why they are crying on social media saying that the deadline moves made by Dave Dombrowski are simply not enough for the Phillies to be legitimate contenders this year.

I obviously disagree with that and here’s why that’s not the case. At all.

The Bullpen Problems Are Gone

The Phillies’ bullpen is not a problem anymore. When you had a bonafide closer like Jhoan Duran, those problems don’t exist. Duran will lock down ninth inning duties which allows other pieces to settle into their respective roles.

• Jhoan Duran (closer, flame-throwing demon)
• Matt Strahm (shuts down lefties, playoff-tested)
• Orion Kerkering (2.72 ERA and growing into a bigger role)
• David Robertson (40 and still throwing darts)
• Tanner Banks (quietly steady, leads the pen in innings)
• José Alvarado (suspended for October, but nails until then)

There’s room to move rotation arms too…

• Jesús Luzardo is going to the bullpen.
• Taijuan Walker, same thing.
• Andrew Painter? Call him up now. He’s another high-upside weapon in October.

Note: You could also send Ranger Suarez to the bullpen instead of Jesus Luzardo. For me, that comes down to who’s pitching better at the end of September and how much Aaron Nola returns to form over the final two months of the season.

Either way, we are now looking at eight legit arms. No more mop-up duty. No more hoping someone steps up. This bullpen is now built for October.

Projected Phillies Bullpen — September 2025

1. Jhoan Duran
2. Matt Strahm
3. Orion Kerkering
4. Jesús Luzardo
5. David Robertson
6. José Alvarado (until postseason)
7. Tanner Banks
8. Taijuan Walker

Remember that the Phillies also Andrew Painter waiting in the wings. Say whatever you want but that’s a significant upgrade. Period.

The Playoff Rotation is Set and That Changes Everything

Barring something unforeseen, your playoff rotation is:

1. Zack Wheeler
2. Cristopher Sánchez
3. Aaron Nola
4. Ranger Suárez

That’s four. You’re not running six guys out there in October. So Luzardo becomes your lefty flamethrower out of the bullpen, and Walker becomes your long-man or emergency innings eater. Again, Painter is the wildcard.

The Phillies would be idiots to not bring him up now and give him as many reps as possible, maybe even in low-leverage spots, with hopes that he will be comfortable to send out there in October.

Justin Crawford Needs to Be in the Lineup. Rojas Needs to Be in Triple-A.

Dave Dombrowski can say whatever he wants but Justin Crawford needs to be playing centerfield for the Phillies for the remainder of the season. There’s really no other option outside of that.

Justin Crawford has done everything asked of him. The Show awaits.

Dave Dombrowski? If there’s no room for Justin Crawford and he’s putting up numbers like this in AAA, the Phillies must not be too high on him.

There’s nothing left for him to do but get the call to The Show. pic.twitter.com/z3lxfJtUWC

— Drew Smith (@drewmsmith) August 1, 2025

• Justin Crawford plays center. Every day.
• Johan Rojas goes to Triple-A.
• Harrison Bader and Brandon Marsh platoon in left.
• Max Kepler rides the bench. Only sees righties. Maybe.

Crawford is ready. He’s tearing up Triple-A. He has nothing left to prove. If Dave Dombrowski’s saying there’s “no room” for him on this roster, then let’s be honest, the Phillies might not be that high on him, because every fan with a pulse can see the upgrade right now.

Dave Dombrowski’s comments on Justin Crawford and Max Kepler post trade deadline are mind-boggling

So… Did Dombrowski Do Enough?

It depends on what you think “enough” looks like. Steven Kwan and Luis Robert Jr. did not get moved at the deadline. Harrison Bader is here and is better than any other options we have in left and center.

Comparing to last year, Duran and Bader are obviously better than last year’s Estévez/Hays deadline and yes, I do believe the bullpen is finally legit.

The Phillies did this to themselves. They are heavily reliant on the big-money guys like Bryce Harper, Trea Turner, Kyle Schwarber, and Nick Castellanos to carry the offense. We have seen how that can work at times, when literally everyone goes cold.

You also have JT Realmuto, Alec Bohm, and Bryson Stott but outside of JT, the other two have proven they are everything but reliable.

Dombrowski didn’t go for broke because they truly have the pieces to win a World Series. It all has to come together at the right time. Because of that, Dave didn’t empty the farm and essentially played it safe.

Maybe that’s the right call long term but if this offense goes cold in October again, and we’re left watching the Mets or Padres celebrate on our field then safe won’t mean a damn thing to anyone who has endured the massive highs and crushing lows of the 2025 Phillies regular season.

Still, the talent is there. The bullpen will be deep. The rotation in the postseason is much more clear than it was 48 hours ago, and there’s been a slight upgrade to the outfield.

All that’s left to do is to make the right roster calls and let it rip. It is what it is.

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