The Philadelphia Phillies head into the 2026 MLB trade deadline with three clear areas to address, and near the top of that list is a right-handed-hitting outfielder. Unfortunately, the available options in that department are slim, with Jo Adell of the Los Angeles Angels emerging as perhaps the most viable target—though acquiring him could come at a steeper price than the Phillies would like.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic has laid out what a potential deal for Adell might look like, and the proposed return—a three-prospect package is significant enough to give Philadelphia pause. Bowden suggests that a combination of Dante Nori, Gabe Craig, and Ramon Marquez could be enough to catch the attention of the Angels’ new front office, and he identifies Adell as the best schematic match for the Phillies’ roster.
On the surface, Adell checks a lot of boxes. At 27, he brings right-handed power from the outfield, and he’s not a short-term rental he remains under team control through 2027. That kind of profile is exactly what Philadelphia is hunting for. Yet a closer look at his 2026 production raises red flags. After launching 37 homers across 526 at-bats last season, he’s down to just 11 long balls in 351 plate appearances this year, representing a sharp decline from a 6.5% home-run rate to 2.9%. His OPS has also tumbled from .778 to .677. If the Phillies were to bring him in, he’d likely be limited to a platoon role against lefties and surrendering that much prospect capital for a part-time contributor feels like an overpay.
Breaking down the proposed haul: Dante Nori, a 21-year-old outfielder and one of the Phillies’ top prospects, would be a tough piece to part with, though he’s widely expected to be dangled in trade talks this summer, so his inclusion isn’t shocking. Gabe Craig, 25, has posted a 2.93 ERA in the minors and looks like he could develop into a dependable MLB reliever, so losing him wouldn’t be devastating but still stings.
The real sticking point is Ramon Marquez the 20-year-old right-handed starter is having a breakout campaign, with a 2.05 ERA and 67 strikeouts over 44 innings across nine appearances (eight starts), and he’s poised to climb prospect rankings quickly.
For the Phillies to part with Nori, Marquez, and Craig in one fell swoop for just a year and a half of Adell’s services would be an exorbitant price to pay. Even if all three are considered movable assets this summer, packaging them together for a player with Adell’s current production and usage limitations would be a major misstep. Philadelphia ought to reconsider whether this is the right deal to make.
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