Phillies Reportedly Checked in on Zack Greinke's Availability Ahead of Trade Deadline

The Phillies are searching high and low across the league for any type of rotation help to bolster their pitching staff, and that includes some big names.

According to FOX Sports' Jon Morosi, Philadelphia checked in with the Arizona Diamondbacks on the status of ace starter Zack Greinke, but the two sides haven't had substantive talks regarding a possible deal.

Morosi also reported early Wednesday the Phillies had discussed a trade with the Indians that would involve Trevor Bauer. A deal with Arizona seems more likely, though, considering they're three games out of a playoff spot at the moment.

The 35-year-old Greinke has had a strong year out in the desert. He's pitched to the tune of a 2.93 ERA across 21 starts in 2019, his lowest mark yet in Arizona. The veteran righty has also issued a measly 17 free passes through his 135 innings this year.

Philadelphia is in dire need of a reliable arm to anchor their starting rotation. Jake Arrieta, the veteran leader of the staff, has put up a 4.40 ERA, and outside of Aaron Nola, no other starter with at least 10 starts has managed an ERA below 4.25.

They certainly have the prospects to go out and get a marquee arm like Greinke. Philadelphia has a pair of top-100 prospects in Alec Bohm and Adonis Medina that would be more than enough in a trade package.

The clock is ticking. The trade deadline is just a week away, and sooner or later, teams like the Phillies will have to stop dealing in hypotheticals and starting making stuff happen.