Phillies Trade Rumors: Does Philly Have Enough Offense?

The Philadelphia Phillies have the best record in baseball due to their pitching, but do they have enough offense to win the World Series?

Backed by arguably the best pitching staff in MLB, the Phillies are 61-36 this season—the best record in baseball.

The Phillies have a 3.12 ERA, tied for the best in MLB. The Phillies have scored 415 runs, the 14th most in baseball.

The Phillies had problems with offense in the postseason last year, and that was during a season when they scored the seventh-most runs in baseball.

The Phillies have lost a key contributor from a year ago: Jayson Werth. Without Werth, their corner outfielders are struggling, none of who are batting .250 or higher.

The Phillies still need to add some offensive production if they want to win the World Series this year, and these are the players that would help the team do so.

Melky Cabrera

The Philadelphia Phillies have been linked to trade talks with the Kansas City Royals for outfielder Melky Cabrera.

Cabrera is one of the top outfielders on the trading block this season, although he is not on the same level as Carlos Beltran.

Cabrera has been on fire this season, batting .294 with 12 home runs. He has only 54 RBI this season because he has not been batting with runners on base very often. He is batting .301 away from Kansas City, which is yet another reason for the Phillies to go after him.

Cabrera is still young at age 26, and he is a cheap option. Cabrera only made $1.25 million in 2011, which makes him a much cheaper option than most other players. Cabrera is also arbitration eligible this season, and he would remain under team control until 2013.

Cabrera is a very good option for the Phillies, so don't be surprised if they sign him soon.

Hunter Pence

The Philadelphia Phillies are looking to trade for Hunter Pence of the Houston Astros. They seem to want to structure offers for Pence around Vance Worley, their young gun who is 6-1 with a 2.02 ERA. The Astros, however, would want Domonic Brown.

Sources have said that Pence won't be traded, but it would make too much sense to trade Pence for us to write him off.

Pence is 28 years old, which means that he will be in his 30s when the Astros are ready to compete. He will become a true free agent in 2014, which does not give the Astros a lot of time to improve to a level at which they can compete for a title. Pence is having the season of his career, and it would make sense to trade him now, while his value is at its peak.

We cannot say that Pence is off the trading block until the deadline has passed.

Pence is doing extremely well, batting .316 with 11 home runs and 61 RBI this year. He earned his second trip to the All-Star Game.

Pence is batting .330 with four home runs at home, but only .297 with seven home runs on the road. His 33 point drop in batting average away from Minute Maid Park is startling, but he is batting .417 at Citizens Bank Park off one of the best pitching staffs in MLB.

The Phillies have had a bit of trouble driving in runners who are on base, but Pence could help with that. He is batting .388 with runners on, .386 with runners in scoring position, .500 with bases loaded and .351 with runners in scoring position and two outs.

Pence would solidify the Phillies for a few years because he is not a true free agent until 2014, so he would be the best option for the Phillies if the Astros trade him.

Ryan Ludwick

The Phillies have been linked to Ryan Ludwick, an outfielder for the San Diego Padres.

Ludwick would be a cheap option for the Phillies, and he could definitely help them offensively.

Ludwick is batting .244 with 11 home runs and 61 RBI this season, despite playing for a team that has scored only 351 runs in 101 games. Ludwick is arguably the best batter for the second-worst offense in baseball, and he would help the Phillies.

Ludwick would be a corner outfielder for the Phillies, and he could provide a spark that the offense still needs.

Carlos Beltran

The Philadelphia Phillies have been persistent in their quest for acquiring Carlos Beltran of the New York Mets, and they appear to be a front-runner.

Beltran has said that he would accept a trade to the Phillies, and the Mets have said that they would be open to trading in-division.

Beltran would make Philly's offense one to be feared. He could be a switch-hitting right fielder for the Phils. He is batting .291 with 15 home runs and 64 RBI this year. He was an All-Star, and he would solidify Philadelphia's offense.

Beltran is a very good situational hitter, batting .311 with runners on, .340 with runners in scoring position, .306 with runners in scoring position and two outs, and .750 with bases loaded.

Beltran would help drive in baserunners for the Phillies, and they have had some problems doing so this year.

Beltran is an ideal target for the Phillies, and because the Braves are pursuing him too, they might have to make their move or else risk him punishing them when the two teams match up.