Phillies Should Focus on Strikeout Pitchers Instead of Rumored Marcus Stroman Pursuit

It's well-known at this point that Toronto Blue Jays right-hander Marcus Stroman will likely be on the move before the MLB trade deadline. One of the many teams that have expressed interest in the 28-year-old is the Philadelphia Phillies.

Although Stroman would be a welcome addition to the Phillies rotation, he isn't exactly the type of pitcher they need at the moment. Their infield is solid up the middle, but Maikel Franco and Rhys Hoskins at the corners are far from elite. If the Phils can add a starter who can provide more strikeouts, instead of a groundball-reliant hurler like the Stro Show, it'd be wiser.

As of now, the Phillies primary rotation consist of Aaron Nola, Jake Arrieta, Vince Velasquez and Zach Elfin. Among those four, the strikeout rate is fairly low. Velasquez has the highest strikeout rate per nine innings at 10.33, with Nola at 10.21 and Arrieta and Elfin barely averaging seven strikeouts a game.

With those stats in mind, there are plenty of great potential additions the Phillies could get before the deadline to improve this weakness instead of adding a hat on a hat. Someone like Matt Boyd (12 Ks per nine innings), Robbie Ray (11.69), Trevor Bauer (10.58) or even Zach Wheeler (9.83) would be a more worthy target in the Phillies deadline efforts. Stroman averages just 7.16 strikeouts a game, which isn't going to solve the Phillies' contact problems.

With the clear need for strikeouts in the Phillies' rotation, Stroman shouldn't be their top target. If they can land another starter who can pitch lights out and provide roughly 9-to-10 strikeouts per game, their rotation could be seriously dangerous.