Anthony Santander, OF
With a power-hitting outfielder being one of the Phillies' key offseason needs, former Baltimore Orioles star Anthony Santander could certainly fit the bill. In fact, Santander put together a career year in 2024. He set personal bests in runs scored (91), home runs (44), RBI (102), slugging percentage (.506) and total bases (301).
In doing so, he became an All-Star for the first time in his career, along with capturing his first ever Silver Slugger Award. Moreover, his breakout performance helped the Orioles reach the playoffs for the second consecutive season.
Despite playing primarily as a right fielder with the Orioles for much of his career, Santander has also had reps in left field, with over 90 games of experience in the position. In addition, the fact that he is a switch hitter makes him an attractive option for the Phillies, as it would enable them to have some flexibility in their daily lineup based on opponent matchups. Santander also just turned 30, so he appears to be hitting his prime at just the right time with his offensive explosion.
However, the Phillies must be wary if the price for Santander skyrockets. Once the top outfield free agent, Juan Soto, goes off the board, Santander automatically becomes the top option remaining on the market. Despite his immense offensive potential, Santander did hit just .235 last season, the lowest mark since his rookie year back in 2018.
Also, he struggled to a .214 batting average against National League opponents last year, which would be the main teams he would be facing if he ended up joining the Phillies. On top of that, his 33.8 percent chase rate ranked him in just the 16th percentile in the league in 2024.
Moreover, his -7 defensive runs saved and -2 outs above average ranked him in just the 28th percentile across the league; his defense could be a bit suspect going forward after posting stronger numbers in previous seasons. The last thing the Phillies need is to overspend on a defensive liability in the outfield. Philadelphia should carefully gauge how aggressive they should be in pursuing Santander.