By: Tim Kelly, Managing Editor 
Though their current road-trip has brought their record back loser to .500, the Philadelphia Phillies are currently very much in the National League playoff picture. According to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe, the surprise late May contender may be in the market for a lefthanded bat later this summer.
''There are plenty of teams (including the Royals, Phillies, Cardinals, and Mets) looking for a lefthanded bat.''
Cafardo mentioned this in a nugget pertaining to Cincinnati Reds outfielder Jay Bruce, though he didn't suggest that the Phillies were necessarily interested in Bruce.
Last weekend, Cafardo noted that the Phillies, along with the Royals, were 'looking at' Atlanta Braves outfielder Nick Markakis, who on the surface fits the bill of potentially being a positive addition that wouldn't cost the Phillies a significant prospect in return. The problem with Markakis is that he's under contract through 2018 at $10.5 million per season, and with Odubel Herrera, Aaron Altherr, Nick Williams and Tyler Goeddel, the Phillies, if they add any outfielder, would seemingly be looking to add a rental type.
Bruce would fit the bill of being a rental type, though Cafardo seemed to indicate that he will have a high asking price, something that it's fair to wonder if it would make sense for the Phillies to meet.
The Phillies do have the previously mentioned Williams, who they obtained in last July's Cole Hamels trade, at Triple-A, with the expectation that he will eventually be the left-handed bat with pop that the team currently lacks. If they are contending in late July, they may make a trade for a shorter term player to fill that hole, though that's strictly what it would be if they were to add a lefthanded hitting outfielder.
One other interesting angle to Cafardo's report is that even though he said this when discussing Bruce, this snippet specifically says the Phillies are in the market for a lefthanded bat. Perhaps if Ryan Howard's production doesn't improve, they could look to find a longer-term platoon piece for Tommy Joseph in the form of a lefthanded bat.
