Dave Dombrowski isn’t going to trade Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, Zack Wheeler or Aaron Nola before the July 30 trade deadline. But even if a full-scale teardown isn’t in order for the Philadelphia Phillies, it’s not difficult to make the case that the 34-37 team is trending towards selling in some form.
In the summer of 2012, the Phillies traded Hunter Pence and Shane Victorino – both of whom were set to become free agents after the season – before attempting to retool their roster and compete in 2013. Never mind how those specific trades panned out or how misguided trying to win in 2013 may have been because this is a different scenario.