Phillies Could Make Major Changes to Their Outfield via Trade and Free Agency

The Philadelphia Phillies could be among the most active teams this offseason when trying to upgrade their outfield.

Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

The Philadelphia Phillies desperately need to make changes to their lineup after another disappointing finish in the playoffs in which the offense severely came up short.

For large portions of the regular season, the Phillies were one of the best teams in all of baseball and finished with their best record since 2011 and their first NL East title since that year.

But despite going to the World Series in 2022 and returning to the NLDS the season after, Philadelphia was eliminated in four games by the New York Mets in what cannot be described as anything less than a domination.

Headed into this winter, Dave Dombrowski knows he can't simply do nothing when it comes to retooling the offense, but with established and critical pieces throughout the infield, it feels like the outfield is the most likely place where major changes could come.

Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors wrote an article detailing the buzz surrounding the moves this team feels poised to make and where they are poking around, naming Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas specifically as players who could be either traded or have their playing time cut in favor of an outside addition.

"... the Phils aren’t likely to simply roll the same lineup back out in 2024 after another shorter-than-hoped season," he wrote. "Marsh and Rojas could form a platoon, as Marsh bats left-handed to the more defensively gifted Rojas’ right-handed bat. That’d open a path for one incoming outfielder, but Dombrowski’s repeated chorus of 'open-minded' approaches to reshaping his offense have prompted natural speculation about trades."

Of course, when it comes to reshaping the offense and the desire to add an outfielder, the first name fans are going to think of is the prized free agent Juan Soto.

At this point, it doesn't feel incredibly likely the Phillies are going to be a prime player for Soto as it looks to be a New York Yankees and Mets race, but never say never.

Even if Philadelphia doesn't land Soto, however, keep a very close eye on them kicking the tires on some other top outfielders available in what is a talent rich market.