Pair of Royals are among the bats linked to Phillies

Whit Merrifield (L), Mike Moustakas (R) linked to Phillies

Following a split of Monday's twi-night doubleheader with the host New York Mets at Citi Field, the Philadelphia Phillies (50-39) find themselves still tied for first place with the Atlanta Braves in the National League East Division.

Yesterday's split highlighted weaknesses that remain with this team as it battles to stay in contention with the calendar pushing towards the middle of July.

In the opener, a 4-3 loss in 10 innings, the Phillies rapped out 10 hits and the lineup worked the Mets pitching staff for seven walks. However, they also grounded into a pair of double plays, and twice they failed on attempted sacrifice bunts.

The Phillies saw the leadoff man reach safely in each of the first three innings but left two men on base in each of the first two. Following a solo home run from Maikel Franco in the fourth, they wouldn't score again.

Bases loaded with one out in the top of the eighth? Nothing. First two men on in the top of the 10th. Nada. Phillies hitters went 2-13 with runners in scoring position and struck out 13 times.

In the nightcap, a 3-1 victory, the offensive production can be summed up in two words: Aaron Nola. The young ace starting pitcher surrendered just one hit and walked just one batter while striking out 10 to gain his 12th victory.

Oh, and that offensive production? Nola also provided his own offense, slashing a two-out, bases-clearing double in the top of the 5th inning. It was one of only two hits that the Phillies would produce in the entire game.

It is no secret that the first place Philadelphia Phillies have struggled to score runs for much of this season. Sure, they have scored in double-digits seven times. Those include a 20-run explosion way back on April 7, and a 17-run outburst just last week.

But those are enigmas. The Phillies have scored three runs or fewer in nearly 44% (39 of 89) of their games. That figure includes a streak that has now reached the team's last four straight dating back to the 17 runs scored last Friday in Pittsburgh.

Despite being tied for the National League's third-best record, the Phillies are just 10th in runs scored. A big part of the problem is that they lack consistent pop. As a group, Phillies hitters have worked the league's sixth-best on-base percentage, but their overall OPS is just 11th among the NL's 15 clubs.

Clearly this team can use one or two upgrades to the everyday lineup. These need to be hitters who can come in and make a legitimate impact on the Phillies ability to score runs on a more consistent basis.

The crown jewel of the 2018 MLB non-waiver trade deadline remains shortstop Manny Machado of the Baltimore Orioles. As each day passes with no deal, a new "favorite" pops up in the news. Last week, the Phillies were co-favorites. Then it became the LA Dodgers. Then the Milwaukee Brewers. Now it's the New York Yankees turn.

The problem with each of those stories has been that when you delve into the details behind the headlines, there is always a "but", such as teams not wanting to give up a big package, or Machado not wanting to switch to third base.

Jon Heyman tweeted out the following on Tuesday morning:

manny's interest in staying at SS doesn't seem like it's deterring yanks' interest, though the match isn't necessarily seen as very likely in any case. (indians are the other team that would want Machado for 3B, the interested NL want him for SS)— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) July 10, 2018 

Fact is that even with the most inside of MLB insiders, it is all going to be speculation until the last hours, perhaps the last minutes, before an actual deal is in place. Machado clearly is a perfect fit for what the Phillies need: a proven middle-of-the-order run producer.

The Phillies remain as much a contender to acquire his services as any other team. Just yesterday, Roch Kubatko of MASN wrote this:

"Machado draws the biggest crowds to his locker as visiting media peck away at him. Would he like to play in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles? Would he prefer cheese steaks or pizza? But he has no choice until the offseason. He can’t pick his city or his position. He goes and plays where he’s told."

In his own piece on the Phillies offensive struggles and the need to add a hitter or two, Matt Gelb at The Athletic mentioned five more names that team management may be looking to acquire.

Whit Merrifield breaks out as Royals return to contention

Whit Merrifield emerges as productive second baseman

When the Kansas City Royals opened play for the 2017 MLB season, very few prognosticators picked them to be a contender.

The Royals captured back-to-back American League pennants in the 2014 and 2015 seasons. And in 2015, they won the second-ever World Series crown in franchise history. That isn’t all that long ago.

But fortunes of big league mini-dynasties can turn around in a hurry these days. The Royals slipped to a .500 finish a year ago. With the Cleveland Indians on the rise in the AL Central Division, and with an aging homegrown core, the Royals looked like yesterday’s news.

Flash forward a few months, and here we are in the Dog Days of summer. Heading into play on Tuesday, August 8, Kansas City is tied for one of the two American League Wildcard playoff berths. The club also sits just three games behind the Indians in the division.

As the season was set to open back in late March, Royals skipper Ned Yostannounced that then 21-year old Raul Mondesi Jr had won an open battle for the team’s second base position.

The losers in that battle, Whit Merrifield, Christian Colon, and Cheslor Cuthbert, were left to battle for bench roles with the club in the final days of spring training.