Phillies reportedly interested in Lane Thomas, Kyle Finnegan

With Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber, the Philadelphia Phillies core already includes a trio of former Washington Nationals. Could they add two more before the July 30 trade deadline?

According to Matt Gelb of The Athletic, the Phillies have interest in Nationals outfielder Lane Thomas and reliever Kyle Finnegan.

We’ve written about the possible fit of Thomas multiple times this week, with Phillies Nation‘s Nathan Ackerman predicting the 28-year-old will be the outfielder that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski ultimately acquires. Earlier today, I wrote about some reliever/outfielder combinations the Phillies could pursue, one of which was Thomas and Finnegan.

3 trades that would allow Phillies to acquire reliever and outfielder

Thomas has been a thorn in the side of the Phillies the past few seasons, and has a .932 OPS against left-handed pitchers this season. He doesn’t grade out well in the field, with -4 defensive runs saved in left field and -11 in right field this year. But he would make sense as a platoon partner with Brandon Marsh, or as a left fielder in the case that Marsh is starting in center field over Johan Rojas.

Meanwhile, Finnegan has averaged 97.2 mph on his fastball this season, and would provide manager Rob Thomson with another late-game option. Adding another high-leverage option feels increasingly important given that Orion Kerkering, Seranthony Domínguez, José Alvarado and Gregory Soto have all struggled to varying degrees lately. The 32-year-old has recorded 28 saves on 32 attempts this year, while posting a 2.32 ERA across 44 appearances.

Kyle Finnegan, K'ing the Side (and a game-ending Expelliarmus Splitter). pic.twitter.com/6tct2BfzBY

— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) May 2, 2024

Both Thomas and Finnegan have one remaining year of arbitration eligibility, so they would theoretically be with the Phillies for two pennant runs. Of course, given that neither can become a free agent until after the 2025 season, that will increase the return Washington president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo asks for.

MORE FROM PHILLIES NATION

1. Phillies 2024 Walk-Up Songs
2. Phillies Nation Top 15 Prospects: Trade Deadline 2024
3. Roundtable: What Outfielder Will The Phillies Trade For?
4. 3 Trades That Would Allow Phillies To Acquire Reliever And Outfielder
5. The Phillies Should Do — Almost — Whatever It Takes To Acquire A’s Closer Mason Miller
6. Garrett Crochet Will Probably Be The Best Player Traded At The Deadline. Could The Phillies Have Interest?
7. Why Are Talent Evaluators So Divided On Phillies Prospect Justin Crawford?
8. This Local Draft Pick Held Phillies History In His Hand In 2022. Now He Hopes To Be A Part Of It.
9. Rob Thomson Recalls Hitting For The Cycle And Lessons Learned In The Minor Leagues
10. Phillies 2024 Giveaway Schedule