White Sox outfielder is allegedly someone the Phillies “have interest” in trade for.

The trade deadline will arrive before any of us realize it because the Major League Baseball All-Star Game is officially in the past. At this time of year, all contending teams try to get better, but none are more certain to be in the running than the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies, who are 62-34, have the best record in Major League Baseball and will have home-field advantage for the duration of the National League playoffs. The Phillies are focused on winning a World Series because they have the strongest starting rotation in baseball and the majority of their returning players have postseason experience. They understand they must strengthen their outfield in order to win that championship.

The Phillies have had a gaping hole in center field all season, after star 2023 rookie Johan Rojas hasn’t lived up to his billing in year two. Philadelphia has the flexibility to shift left fielder Brandon Marsh to center, but they are widely presumed to be in search of another outfield bat. According to New York Post insider Jon Heyman, the Phillies may have found a potential target. Heyman reported Wednesday that the Phillies “have interest” in the Chicago White Sox’s Tommy Pham, who beat the Phillies in the 2023 NLCS with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Heyman also said that the White Sox “should certainly have takers” for the 36-year-old Pham, who has a track record of success at the plate in October.

In 31 career postseason games, Pham is batting .313 with a .846 OPS. He wasn’t great against the Phillies in that NLCS (2-for-20), but he had an OPS above 1.000 in the NLDS and World Series last season with Arizona. Having signed a one-year contract with Chicago shortly after the regular season began, Pham has long been considered a prime trade candidate. He’s only making $3 million guaranteed this year, and though he has played for eight teams in his career, he’s never won a ring.

Pham’s motivation is clear: Get to a contender and take another crack at that elusive World Series. The question is whether the Phillies will follow through on their reported interest and add him to their already-loaded roster.