The Philadelphia Phillies used to be one of the league’s best, combining power-hitting with strong pitching. It was the type of combination that led them to a World Series title in 2008.

Now, with much of the same core, the Phillies are struggling to keep pace in what in a competitive NL East race. They sit 7.5 games out of first place, which is shared by the Atlanta Braves and Washington Nationals.

With a slim shot at a playoff berth, the Phillies are faced with a tough decision: to sell or not to sell? The trade market will start to heat up toward the end of the month, and teams will need to decide soon if they plan to upgrade or trade away pieces.

The Phillies need to consider revamping their roster, which means saying goodbye to a few of the best players in franchise history.  The team’s average age is 29.9, which ranks 28th in the league.

Philadelphia should start with its strongest player this season: Chase Utley. Utley was an integral part of the World Series run in 2008 and is still batting at a .318 clip today. However, his time batting over .300 is slowing coming to an end.

At 35, Utley can only hope for a couple more years at his best, so the Phillies would be wise to trade him while he has value. Many teams would chase after a .318 in the playoff race, no matter the age.

Ryan Howard is another attractive trade item, although he’s batting just .237 on the year. A player who has hit over 40 home runs in a season four times always has some value.

The Phillies may also want to consider parting ways with Cliff Lee, a pitcher who arrived in Philadelphia with hopes of joining one of the best rotations in baseball. When Lee came back to the Phillies in 2011, they had Roy Halladay and Cole Hamels, creating one of best pitching trios in many years.

However, at 35, Lee’s value will only continue to drop. He holds a 3.18 ERA, which is attractive to any club in the pennant race. The only force that could keep teams away is the $25 million he is owed in both 2015 and 2016.

Let’s not forget Jimmy Rollins, a stalwart in the Phillies lineup since 200. Rumors have surfaced in the past few years that the team was considering trading the shortstop.

 If they plan on it, they might want to do it soon. Rollins is batting .248 on the season and once strong fielding abilities are diminishing, as he has his lowest fielding percentage in his career at .974.

The youngest of the trade options could be Jonathan Papelbon, who is only 33. Papelbon is having a strong season, earning 14 saves and holding a 1.48 ERA. If Papelbon and his $50 million contract go, the Phillies may free up room to sign younger free agents in the future.

Regardless, the Phillies have far too many veteran players with value to not look to trade away. If the Phillies do completely revamp their roster, they could be looking at a handful of quality prospect to start with. Not to mention, younger players like Domonic Brown and Ben Revere to build around.

If the Phillies want a World Series title in the future, now might be the time to act. Philadelphia should look to get something back from its core before it’s too late.