Will Jason Vargas be the last Phillies trade acquisition before today’s deadline? | Extra Innings

The trade deadline is almost here, and the Phillies have arrived with some momentum. They have won two straight games and are tied for one of the National League’s wild cards. But they have just a few hours left to buy.

The Phillies, and the rest of Major League Baseball, have until 4 p.m. today to complete any moves. And unlike prior seasons, this is it. There are no more waiver trades in August, which means there should be plenty of activity Wednesday. The Phillies made two trades on last year’s deadline day, acquiring Wilson Ramos and Aaron Loup. Remember those guys?

The Phillies traded for Jason Vargas on Monday and signed reliever Blake Parker on Tuesday. It would be a surprise if they didn’t add more Wednesday. They could use some more help for the season’s final two months.

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— Matt Breen (extrainnings@inquirer.com)

Gabe Kapler watched from the Phillies dugout last month as Vargas weaved through his lineup for nearly seven innings, providing enough hope that Vargas will be able to hold his own in the small Citizens Bank Park despite a reliance on fly balls for outs.

“He came in here, and he kicked our ass pretty handily,” Kapler said before Tuesday’s 4-2 win over the Giants. “We know what he can do when he’s pitching to his ability.”

Vargas’ 42.3-percent fly-ball rate with the Mets was the eighth highest this season among major-league starters. He posted a 2.93 ERA in nine games at pitcher-friendly Citi Field, but had a 5.03 ERA on the road. Perhaps South Philadelphia’s friendly confines might not be the best mix.

But it is Vargas’ ability to induce weak contact, not his fly-ball rate, that caught Kapler’s attention last month. Vargas’ fastest pitch against the Phillies was 85.5 mph, and the lineup’s average exit velocity was just 88.5 mph, three ticks slower than the Phillies’ average for the season.

“In today’s environment, it’s never great to have almost exclusively a fly-ball pitcher,” Kapler said. “But at the same time, he knows how to stay off barrels and the exit velocity and the contact has been weak.”

Vargas kept the Phillies off balance with his slow fastball and even slower off-speed pitches. And the result was tons of weak contact. Vargas might have a high fly-ball rate, but he also has the eighth-highest soft-contact rate in baseball. The Phillies will be OK with his fly balls as long as the contact remains soft. If so, he’ll be fine in Citizens Bank Park.

“It’s just different. I don’t know if there’s a pitcher who has that kind of velocity outside of Jason,” Kapler said. “It’s an adjustment for hitters, especially in today’s environment where everyone throws hard.

"This is pretty significantly different, and hitting is timing. If your timing is disrupted, you’re going to be less effective. It doesn’t mean that this is going to go swimmingly well at every turn. There’s going to be challenges, but at the same time, at the very least, it’s a creative move that gives us a chance to have some success.”

Zach Eflin was moved to the bullpen Tuesday to make room for Vargas in the rotation. The Phillies could use Eflin on Wednesday or Thursday night as a piggyback reliever after Vince Velasquez or Jake Arrieta.

The Phillies needed a miracle at the trade deadline, David Murphy writes. Instead, they got Jason Vargas. “It’s a rotation that we are confident will give us a chance,” Kapler said. To which Murphy writes: “I’ll have to go back and look, but I’m fairly certain that the spring training messaging coming out of Citizens Bank Park was a little stronger than “We’ll have a chance.” If you are hoping for a miracle, I’d suggest whiskey instead.”.

The Phillies made another minor move Tuesday by signing Parker, who had been designated for assignment last week by the Twins. Parker began the season as Minnesota’s closer. He joins Mike Morin as the second right-handed reliever the Phillies signed this month after he was DFA’d by the Twins.

Vargas might not bring the Phillies a World Series title, but he could be enough to help this group win a wild card, Scott Lauber writes. “For a franchise that hasn’t sniffed the playoffs since 2011, that wouldn’t be a trivial accomplishment, regardless of how high the expectations were for them after owner John Middleton dropped nearly half a billion dollars to improve the roster last winter.”

Today: Baseball’s trade deadline hits, 4 p.m.

Tonight: Vince Velasquez faces right-hander Jeff Samardzija, 7:05 p.m.

Tomorrow: Jake Arrieta starts the series finale against the Giants, 1:05 p.m.

Friday: Phillies open a three-game series against the White Sox, 7:05 p.m.

How good was Drew Smyly on Tuesday night? It was the first time since 2015 — when Cole Hamels threw a no-hitter at Wrigley Field — that a Phillies left-hander pitched seven or more scoreless innings.

It was also the first time that a Phillies pitcher not named Aaron Nola pitched seven innings since Zach Eflin on June 12. Smyly has a 0.69 ERA in his first two starts with the Phillies and has not allowed a run in 12 straight innings.

Send questions by email or on Twitter @matt_breen.

Question: When do you think Major League Baseball will allow a computer to call balls and strikes? — Charles C. via email

Answer: Thanks, Charles. I’m glad you asked. Bob Brookover wrote a fun column about this very subject earlier this month. The independent Atlantic League is already trying it out thanks to an operation funded by Major League Baseball.

"This is a specialty profession and working home plate is probably the hardest thing to officiate and we’re at 97 percent. Pat them on the back. Don’t try to replace them,” longtime umpire Joe West said.