The NL East is up for grabs! It's time for the Phillies to pounce

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Phillies have surged above .500, putting them back in the race in an NL East that is basically last year's NFC East - a bunch of mediocre teams fighting to see who can be the best of the worst.

The Phillies find themselves very much a division contender as we approach the trade deadline (July 30) thanks to a 10-5 mark in July, and there's a good case for them to be buyers in this market to finally corral the playoff spot that has alluded them for more than a decade.

Catcher J.T. Realmuto says the players are doing their part and now would love to see the front office pull off some deals.

Despite the Phillies' recent surge, there are still concerns about the team's consistency and questions in the rotation.

Will the bullpen hold up? How will they handle Zach Eflin on the injured list? Will Aaron Nola round back into form? Is Ranger Suarez the real deal?

Luckily for the Phils, this is a winnable division. It will be interesting to see if Dave Dombrowski feels the same when the trade deadline rolls around.