Philadelphia Phillies Outfield Solution Lands $105 Million in Recent Prediction

The Philadelphia Phillies would be wise to give the slugger what he's looking for.

Sep 8, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander (25) looks on during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

MLB free agency is open, and the Philadelphia Phillies must take advantage of it to significantly improve their roster in 2025.

High-profile moves regarding a star player signing don't necessarily have to be made, but they do need to make substantial changes on the margins.

If the Phillies can accomplish that, their roster could be in a much better position to compete for a World Series next year after another disappointing playoff exit.

Of course, that's much easier said than done, and it doesn't diminish the fact that Philadelphia might be in the mix to land some of the top players on the market. 

There are a few areas of need, but the outfield has to be fixed.

Over the past 24 months, the Phillies haven't been in a position to roll out an elite outfield, and while it doesn't need to be perfect, it has to be better than it's been. 

That's where a guy like Anthony Santander could come into play.

Philadelphia has been linked to him multiple times over the past three months, a promising sign as the switch-hitter would be one of the top players to land on this market when considering his price. 

He's looking at a decently sized contract, but it shouldn't be too significant for the Phillies to pay. Tim Britton of The Athletic was the latest to make his prediction, writing that Santander would land a five-year, $105 million deal.

"At this time eight years ago, Cleveland was deciding whether to protect Santander from the Rule 5 draft. They ultimately left him exposed, and the Baltimore Orioles took him with the final Major League selection of the 2016 Rule 5 draft. Santander became an Orioles mainstay and hit a career-high 44 home runs this season. He also made his first All-Star Game. Having just turned 30, Santander is again available to any team, but the price tag has gone up considerably. He’s a switch hitter who offers reliable power without an astronomical strikeout rate, having slugged .476 over the past six seasons. He’s played a little bit of first base, but is otherwise limited to the outfield corners where he has a decent arm and below-average glove."

About $20 million AAV would be an excellent price for a hitter who's coming off a 44-home run season.

This was Santander's best showing of his career, which raises concerns about him potentially playing this type of way moving forward.

However, his bat hasn't slowed down over the past couple of campaigns, which should mean he's continuing to improve.