Phillies Free Agency Target: Outfielder Michael Saunders
By Gary Brinson
The Phillies need left handed power – luckily, there’s an impending free agent this offseason that makes a ton of sense for the club.
With Ryan Howard now gone, the Phillies are in need of left handed power. Say what you will about Howard, but he still hit 25 homers and finished with a .453 SLG in 362 plate appearances. No matter how bad everything else was with Howard, the team needs to replace the power he supplied.
Enter Toronto Blue Jays Outfielder, 2016 All-Star Michael Saunders.
Saunders may not be the sexiest name on the market this offseason, but he might provide the best value for the Phils. The 29-year-old is coming off a 24 home run season, with a .253/.338/.478 slash line in 140 games.
With numbers like that, one would think Saunders would have general managers around the league chomping at the bit for his services, but this is not the case.
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What’s Working Against Saunders?
Saunders is just an average – to below average defender. His -1.7 dWAR this past season show his value on that side of the ball.
The 140 games Saunders played in this season were a career best, and he’s only played over 130 games three times in his 8 year career.
He strikes out a lot. This season he had 157 strikeouts – for his career he’s averaged a strikeout every 3.41 at-bats.
While he did make the all-star team this past season, he was awful in the second half. Saunders would slash .178/.282/.357 with 8 homers in 58 games.
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More To Second Half Struggles?
The Blue Jays needed to add speed to their lineup heading into the stretch run. Saunders does not fit that bill.
The team would acquire outfielder Melvin Upton Jr. prior to the trade deadline, and gave outfielder Ezequiel Carrera more playing time when he returned in mid August – to provide more speed to the team.
This in part would lead to much less playing time in left for Saunders. While not entirely his fault, his flaws certainly held him back from remaining an everyday left fielder for Toronto.
For some guys, when you’re out of position, and not playing everyday – it can hinder your game. This may very well be the case for Saunders.
Why The Phillies Make Sense
This may be the best all around fit for the Phils this offseason. The team can insert Saunders in his most natural position (LF) everyday. He hits decently from both sides of the plate. Slashing .247/.332/.451 versus right handers, and an impressive .275/.358/.569 versus lefties last season.
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He’s got the power the team covets, is not going to hold up a prospect, and wouldn’t require a long-term or big dollars in his contract due to his lack of consistent health. If the Phillies want to remain conservative with their spendings, the club should look no further than Saunders.
He’s a classic case of low risk, high reward – and could potentially fill a great need for the club.