Categories: Rumors

Phillies again linked to outfield market as trade season looms

President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski will likely make a run at some outfielders this trade season. (Cheryl Pursell)

The Phillies are likely going to be busy in the outfield market this trade season, and it might not end with one single addition.

Jim Bowden of CBS Sports and The Athletic recently appeared on MLB Network Radio and said the club would like to add a starting and a fourth outfielder — and that he’s been told as much firsthand.

Bowden had already reported in early June that the Phillies were targeting outfield additions, and specific names of interest have surfaced elsewhere, but it’s somewhat new information that the team would like to add both a starter and a fourth outfielder.

It’s relatively easy to find a spot for a fourth outfielder on the current roster; perhaps such an addition could take the spot of Whit Merrifield (though his ability to man an infield spot is a plus), Cristian Pache or even David Dahl, who’s cooled off but would have to be DFA’d to be removed from the 26-man roster.

Tougher is figuring out who exactly the new starter would usurp.

Nick Castellanos is slashing .208/.267/.353, but in reality, $20 million is the more important figure as far as his status is concerned. He’s not going anywhere. Brandon Marsh has struggled mightily against lefties, but he’s a lock to be in the regular lineup against righties down the stretch. The odd man out would likely be Johan Rojas, but that would require the outfield addition to be a center fielder specifically — or the Phillies putting Marsh in center, even against lefties (assuming Pache isn’t starting too many meaningful games down the stretch).

There are a few different ways the team could go, with options ranging from measured to, well, not. The only obvious thing seems to be that the current outfield situation isn’t tenable.

Maybe it is from now until the July 30 deadline, but Phillies outfielders rank 26th in MLB with 0.6 fWAR this year and 27th with an 80 wRC+. You can win a division like that. Maybe not a World Series. They seem aware.