The Philadelphia Phillies know they have a lot of work to do this offseason to get back to the level they believe they are capable of playing at on the field.
A few positions need to be sorted out, such as behind the plate at catcher. The team could use a more offensive-minded player to pair with J.T. Realmuto as his backup. A lot of focus has also been on Trea Turner. He has to prove that he is worthy of being the starting shortstop by improving his defense this offseason.
If he doesn’t, a move to the outfield could be in his future. That would certainly help the team in the grass, where they received underwhelming production once again at the plate. Brandon Marsh’s fall from All-Star to the least productive hitter in MLB in the second half hurt a lot.
Should President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski look outside the organization for help, expect it to be in the outfield. He was brutally honest with some recent comments and doesn’t foresee an answer to their questions at the position currently on the roster.
Phillies have no internal options to fill outfield need
“I don’t think we have an outfielder internally that’s ready to fill that hole,” Dombrowski said of the outfield vacancy to platoon with the left-handed hitting Marsh, via Charlotte Varnes and Matt Gelb of The Athletic (subscription required). “Marsh looks like he’s made himself, so far, a platoon-type guy, hits right-handed pitching and he hasn’t done very well versus left-handed pitching. At this point, we have to say — OK, for us, we need to complement him.”
Bryan De La Cruz is one option to be retained if the team wants to tender him a deal and bring him back. He was solid as a right-handed hitting complement off the bench. Derek Hill should be back to play a similar role in center field with Justin Crawford.
His development is key to the Phillies getting to that next level. He showed some flashes at points during his rookie season, but there is some work that remains to be done. His production with the bat wasn’t nearly as prolific as it was with Triple-A Lehigh Valley, and his defense in center field remains a work in progress.
Getting Crawford more comfortable, so he resembles the player he was in 2025 with Lehigh Valley, is important to the team’s success.
With Bryce Harper ticketed for a full-time return to first base, there is certainly a need for a corner outfielder. Philadelphia should think long and hard about pursuing Randy Arozarena or Seiya Suzuki in free agency to upgrade the offense and be an everyday player in the corner.
However, both are expected to receive a qualifying offer from their respective teams, the Seattle Mariners and Chicago Cubs, which will complicate things for the Phillies. As a team over the tax, the penalties for signing players who decline a qualifying offer are steep.
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