The Philadelphia Phillies are ready to spend big on outfielders this offseason
After missing the postseason for the 10th consecutive season and watching their division-rival Atlanta Braves win the World Series, the Philadelphia Phillies have made it clear they mean business this offseason.
First, they hired hitting coach extraordinaire Kevin Long, whom slugger Kyle Schwarber credits with revamping his swing, away from their other division rivals, the Washington Nationals.
Then they exercised Andrew McCutchen‘s $3M buyout instead of his $15M option, and let Odúbel Herrera and Ronald Torreyes hit free agency.
Even during the season, the Phillies were overhauling their player development department and parting ways with front office folks whose rebuild efforts had culminated in zilch over the years.
Sloughing money off the books means the Phillies are ready to spend big. And who better to go on a shopping spree than Dave Dombrowski, their new President of Baseball Operations, who built one of the best and most expensive World Series teams in MLB history during his tenure with the Boston Red Sox.
Dombrowski has made it clear that the Phillies’ two biggest needs are outfielders who can hit (McCutchen hit well in 2021 but struggled in left) and pitchers, especially a closer. He’s known for giving out big contracts, so here are five slugging outfielders worthy of a big Dombrowski deal:
The Phillies should sign Nick Castellanos
Nick Castellanos was originally drafted in the first round of the 2010 June draft by none other than then-Detroit Tigers GM Dombrowski. After parts of seven seasons in Detroit, he spent half a season with the Cubs and the last two in Cincinnati.
It’s hard to argue with Castellanos’ bat power; he matched Bryce Harper’s .309 batting average this season, and they were close in many offensive categories. Castellanos had more total bases and RBI in fewer games, though some of the latter falls on Harper’s teammates, who struggled to be in scoring position when he came up to bat.
Over the last two years, Castellanos has become known for that soundbite just as much as his power bat, which would add some extra enjoyment for Phillies fans. The 29-year-old plays right field like Harper, but with the Universal DH probably on its way, there’s even more flexibility in the Phillies’ future.