MLB trade deadline strategy depends on the futures of several current Phillies

Every now and then, a helpful thing to do is to take a step back and ask yourself three simple questions.

The future of several current Phillies is uncertain.

The Phillies lost three straight games to the Cubs. The team is 20-plus games under .500. Dave Dombrowski's team may be better off swept than losing the series.

The Phillies are not interested in trading players for parts. Brad Hand and Corey Knebel are the only players who might be useful to a contending team. Kyle Gibson, Odúbel Herrera, Zach Eflin and Jeurys Famlia are valuable to the team's current hopes. The team is four games under .500 and has six players on their roster who will hit free agency after this season. The Phillies' future depends on the futures of several current players.

The Phillies are 19-17 since their nine-game winning streak in early June. They are on pace to finish the season with 84 wins. The team needs another starter and a bullpen that can give Zack Wheeler a fighting chance in a tie game. Dombrowski's team has to focus on the three-year plan and not on winning a World Series this season. The Phillies must operate in the way that maximizes their aggregate odds. Any moves they make in next week cannot come at the expense of reducing their odds in future seasons.

The Phillies have a surplus of bats. Rhys Hoskins is eligible for free agency after next season. Alec Bohm and Darick Hall have the potential to form a platoon that costs less than $2 million next year. They have combined to hit .303/.345/.563 with seven home runs in 158 at-bats. Hall and Bohm could be traded for a reliever. The Phillies are three games above .500. If done right, the three-year plan is inseparable from the one Dombrowski has for the stretch run.