Phillies Reportedly 'Trying to Trade for' Pirates' Oneil Cruz

Phillies Reportedly 'Trying to Trade for' Pirates' Oneil Cruz originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

With a week until the MLB trade deadline, the Philadelphia Phillies are expected to be aggressive. With needs in the bullpen and the outfield, there are plenty of ways to address the roster at the deadline.

While the outfield market isn't great, the Phillies are, according to Andrew Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan, a Pittsburgh sports talk radio show, one of many teams looking to acquire the polarizing Pittsburgh Pirates star, Oneil Cruz.

"Source: The Phillies are one of the teams that's trying to trade for Pirates CF Oniel Cruz." Fillipponi writes, "Philly has gotten terrible play in CF this year. And they are interested in seeing what Cruz could do in a lineup with Harper, Schwarber, and Turner. Good veteran influences. Stay tuned."

Source: The Phillies are one of the teams that’s trying to trade for Pirates CF Oneil Cruz. Philly has gotten terrible play in CF this year. And they are interested in seeing what Cruz could do in a lineup with Harper Schwarber and Turner. Good veteran influences. Stay tuned. pic.twitter.com/wLmSG02yrO

— Andrew Fillipponi (@ThePoniExpress) July 24, 2025

While the Phillies' interest in Cruz doesn't come as a surprise, the language of this report from Fillipponi is noteworthy. Not only are the Phillies interested, but they're trying to trade for Cruz at the deadline.

He would take over in center field for Brandon Marsh, and Marsh could then slide over to left field, replacing Max Kepler who has had his struggles this season.

Adding a player like Cruz, who is 26 years old and is under team control through 2028, would cost a lot. However, the Phillies are reportedly willing to go all in this trade deadline and could part with some of their top prospects.

Though if the Pirates ask for top prospect Andrew Painter, the Phillies won't budge. Every other prospect is on the table, including Aidan Miller and Mick Abel.

Cruz, who hit a 513-foot home run in the 2025 Home Run Derby, is a highly sought-after player on the trade market. Even though Cruz is batting just .219 on the year, he will still draw plenty of intrigue from around the league.

Part of what makes him so appealing is his power and speed. He's hit 16 home runs this season, which would be second on the Phillies, and has an MLB-leading 33 stolen bases.

Cruz will cost a fortune, but according to this report, the Phillies are looking to land the polarizing Pirates' star center fielder at the trade deadline.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.