The Philadelphia Phillies could be in the market for some outfield help this week and are reportedly interested in Daulton Varsho, according to MLB insider Jon Heyman.
Varsho has a .691 OPS this season and bats left-handed. The Phillies don't really need another left-handed hitter, and Varsho is barely an upgrade over Justin Crawford in center field. However, the Phillies seem to have at least some interest in him.
Varsho has seven home runs in 96 games this year, after hitting 20 in 71 games last year. He will be a free agent in a few months, so the Blue Jays would be wise to trade him now. He has actually been slightly better against southpaws than right-handed pitchers this season.
Varsho is a pull-heavy hitter who plays elite defense, but may not be the upgrade that the Phillies hope can get them over the hump. He had a .725 career OPS coming into the season, and has performed well below expectations. Perhaps a change of scenery could do him some good, but on paper, he's not going to be able to do much for the Phillies.
Simply put, there are better options to improve the offense for Dave Dombrowski. He does not even necessarily limit himself to outfielders.
Bryce Harper is willing to move back to right field, so they could also add a first baseman. However, if they are set on adding an outfielder, they could target Jung Hoo Lee of the San Francisco Giants. Like the Toronto Blue Jays, the Giants have underperformed and are expected to be sellers.
Unless the Phillies think Varsho can perform to at least his career averages, there is no real reason for them to target him.