Inside The Phillies

Report: Phillies Among Teams Interested in All-Star Utilityman

While the Hot Stove has been blazing, the Phillies' have sat idly by. Now, they are reportedly interested in an All-Star.

Kade Kistner

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The Philadelphia Phillies have yet to make a move ahead of the Collective Bargaining Agreement deadline on Dec. 1. This is despite a historic push across the league to sign superstar players in a deep class of free agents. 

Honestly, the only true fit for the Phillies that has already been signed is center fielder Starling Marte. But, with a number of cheaper trade candidates available, it may have made more sense for Philadelphia to stand their ground anyways. 

Now, MLB Insider Jon Heyman reports that the Phillies are one team who is interested in All-Star utilityman Chris Taylor. We wrote extensively about his fit for Philadelphia earlier in the offseason and the match seems to be a good one. 

Taylor can play any outfield position, to include center, as well as most infield positions. At 31-years-old, Taylor is still in his prime and can help the Phillies make their push for the postseason. However, he does come with a qualifying offer attached which would force the Phillies to give up a draft pick and $500k in international draft pool bonus money.

The utilityman hit .254/.344./.438 in 2021, which is perfectly in line with his career numbers he has amassed over the last eight seasons. Additionally, he has been to the postseason and won a World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers, something no other player on the roster has done to this point. 

Not only would he add plus defense and an extra bat to the lineup, his veteran leadership amongst the core group of players would play an expounded role. That leadership would only become more valuable down the stretch of the season when the club has a notoriously difficult time sealing the deal for the postseason.

It seems likely that Philadelphia will make some type of move, and Taylor's fit and subsequent cost just make too much sense. 

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Kade Kistner
KADE KISTNER

Kade Kistner is the publisher and beat writer for Sports Illustrated's Inside the Phillies. An alumnus of Tulane University, Kade graduated in 2017 with a degree in Latin American Studies and a minor in Spanish. Upon graduation, Kade commissioned into the United States Navy and attended Naval Flight School in Pensacola, Fl. He served as a Naval Aviator and was stationed in Jacksonville, Fl.  During his time in school and the Navy, Kade began covering the MLB and NFL with USA Today, SB Nation, and Sports Illustrated.  Kade covered the New Orleans Saints, Texas Rangers, and numerous other teams within the Sports Illustrated network before launching Inside the Phillies, Inside the Astros, and Inside the Cubs. You can follow him on Twitter at @KadeKistner, or if you have any questions or comments he can be reached via email at kwkistner@gmail.com.

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