Phillies linked to trade for pitcher, either from Blue Jays or Giants

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The Philadelphia Phillies have good pitchers.

The question as October approaches will be: Do they have enough of them?

That's why many expect them to add an arm before the 2026 MLB trade deadline.

"The Phillies desire rotation help in order to get to the playoffs, not necessarily out of a need for another pitcher to start a postseason game -- although, an additional October arm would be just fine with them," ESPN's Jesse Rogers wrote on Monday. "The Phillies are top-heavy with Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez and Jesus Luzardo, a trio as good as any team can put on the mound in the postseason. But after that, it thins out, as Aaron Nola's 5.82 ERA tells his 2026 story. As for a fifth starter, Andrew Painter and Alan Rangel couldn't hold on to the job so the search is on."

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Rogers points to a couple of pitchers who could be targets for Philadelphia: Kevin Gausman and Robbie Ray.

Gausman's Blue Jays are probably going to sell, and Ray's Giants definitely are.

"Philadelphia can likely take on some salary in the form of players on expiring deals, such as Robbie Ray or Kevin Gausman," Rogers writes. "Either of those pitchers can be a No. 4, which makes them extremely enticing. And, of course, they could also start playoff games. Having four quality rotation arms can only help the Phillies' cause against L.A., and more importantly, it helps their likelihood of winning four rounds. At the moment, it doesn't look like the NL East winner is going to get a bye, which means there's a need to load up on pitchers as much as possible."

Gausman would be particularly compelling given that he was part of the Blue Jays' run to Game 7 of the 2025 World Series. That experience could definitely come in handy.

Either way, the Phillies would be getting a talented veteran arm that makes their team better, and that's worth it for them to pursue.