Philadelphia Phillies: 5 options to consider for 4th outfield spot

3. Símon Muzziotti

Another prospect who may get a shot is Símon Muzziotti, who saw limited action for the Phillies early in the 2022 season — appearing in nine games and recording a hit in seven at-bats.

While Muzziotti’s bat may still be a work in progress, similar to Rojas, his glove is major-league-ready. In his short stint with the Phillies in 2022, Muzziotti showed plenty of promise in the field, getting good jumps on balls and making a few sliding grabs.

This offseason will be big for Muzziotti’s development at the plate, but his health is also a concern. In August, he suffered a partially torn patellar tendon and required surgery. The recovery timeline for the injury can vary from a few weeks to six months, but considering Muzziotti needed surgery, he’s probably looking at the higher end of the recovery timeline.

If Muzziotti isn’t ready for spring training, he will likely find himself on the outside looking in for the fourth outfield position, and a bench spot overall.

4. Jake Cave

A move lost in the shuffle of the Phillies’ busy offseason was them claiming outfielder Jake Cave — who spent parts of the last five seasons with the Minnesota Twins. A career .235 hitter with a .708 OPS, Cave has logged 33 home runs, 10 triples, and 43 doubles. These numbers aren’t the worst considering he’s primarily been a backup player.

The 30-year-old has experience at all three outfield positions. He played 70 games in center field back in 2018, but that number has gradually decreased since. The Phillies don’t need a full-time center fielder, though — just someone who can fill in if needed. The experienced Cave certainly should be able to.

Cave is not a splashy addition and won’t excite fans the way someone like Johan Rojas would, but he’s a solid veteran. He’s going to give competitive at-bats and won’t make some of the mistakes that some of the younger players on this list may be prone to.