Phillies Must Pursue All-Star Centerfielder When Lockout Ends

The Philadelphia Phillies must pursue a centerfielder and top-of-the-order bat following the MLB lockout.

Kade Kistner | Dec 17, 2021

The Philadelphia Phillies cannot continue to be a mediocre .500 club, not as long as NL MVP Bryce Harper, J.T. Realmuto, and pitcher Zack Wheeler are all in their primes.

Prior to the MLB lockout, the Phillies only partially addressed the back end of the bullpen by signing Corey Knebel, as well as the departure of Freddy Galvis by signing Johan Camargo.

However, what the team desperately needs is a leadoff hitter who can get on base ahead of Harper. Clearly another middle-of-the-order bat could benefit the club, but in theory, a healthy Rhys Hoskins should be able to get the job done.

The first and second batters in Philadelphia's lineup hit .305 this past season. That is inexcusable considering the NL MVP was hitting right behind the two positions. It is for that reason that the Phillies must address the leadoff spot, and doing it through trade would be the most economical way.

One potential target is someone Inside the Phillies has addressed as a possibility before: Pittsburgh Pirates centerfielder Bryan Reynolds.

Reynolds is the perfect player to leadoff for the Phillies as he grinds out at-bats, evidenced by his .303/.390/.522 slashline during the 2021 MLB season. Many clamor that the farm should be rebuilt, etc., but the fact of the matter is, Philadelphia is in "win-now" mode. Rebuilding the farm isn't in the cards, at least not this season.

In fact, it should be pretty obvious why Dave Dombrowski was brought in to lead the front office and franchise. Philly's current President of Baseball Operations has a reputation for winning, and winning at all costs. That means a high profile trade could very well be in the cards.

Pittsburgh is in a position to move stars and rebuild their farm. Philadelphia is looking to add said stars and they have some coveted prospects to move. However, a trade for Reynolds likely starts with names like Rafael Marchan, Mick Abel, Andrew Painter, and yes, Bryson Stott.

But that sort of price tag shouldn't dissuade the Phillies from pursuing a franchise-altering player like Reynolds. With an All-Star hitter atop the order, that would give Harper and company the opportunity to score more runs.

Additionally, the starting rotation is pretty well set, which is a feat that many MLB teams can't claim to have accomplished. By making a trade for a player set to make just $4.5 million this season, it leaves the door open for more additions to the bullpen, and a potential addition like Kyle Schwarber.

Once one gets over the idea of trading away "potential," the idea of obtaining proven, high-caliber players begins to make sense. Even more so when one simply looks at the state of the Phillies and their window of contention.

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Published Dec 17, 2021

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.