Philadelphia Phillies fans were promised changes this offseason. Unfortunately, the latest update from the team might not be exactly what we all had in mind. After the Phillies signed Adolis García as their new right fielder on Monday, fans were hoping it was just the first move to rebuild the outfield for 2026.
On Tuesday, after the Phillies had finalized the one-year, $10 million deal, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski squashed any hopes of another outfield free agent signing or trade to appease the masses.
In his press conference to discuss the addition of García, Dombrowski laid out exactly what he, the front office, and the coaching staff have in mind for the outfield next season. And for fans that wanted big moves, it's not pretty.
Dave Dombrowski tells Phillies fans that the outfield is set after adding Adolis García
As MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reported, Dombrowski said that the "outfield is pretty much set" with García in right, Brandon Marsh in left, and top prospect Justin Crawford in center.
Otto Kemp is being considered as a platoon option to pair with the lefty-hitting Marsh. Johan Rojas is an option as backup for center field and Dombrowski also mentioned prospect Gabriel Rincones Jr.
Truthfully, signing top outfield free agents Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger was a longshot at best this winter. But Harrison Bader was on fans' radars when the offseason began and was still in the mix after re-signing Kyle Schwarber. It appears that's done.
Many were hoping Dombrowski would bring back the sparkplug. The move would certainly have helped shore up the premier position in an outfield that has been a glaring weakness for a team that has still finished with the second-best record in the majors two consecutive years.
But alas. The Phillies will roll into 2026 with what could turn out to be one of the worst outfields in the majors. Not that that will be much different from this past season. Phillies outfielders contributed just 3.2 fWAR to the team's overall 51.3 fWAR while posting a 21st-ranked 95 wRC+ in 2025.
Phillies are taking two big gambles on 2026 outfield
Dombrowski is taking a gamble, and a controversial one at that, on a rebound from García's bat in right field. The soon-to-be 33-year-old hit just .225 with a .675 OPS over the last two seasons in Texas. Although his defense alone will make him an upgrade over Nick Castellanos.
As for center field, Phillies fans have been clamoring for a top prospect promotion and Crawford will finally get his chance. Ranked by MLB Pipeline as the team's No. 3 prospect, fans will be anxiously excited to see what the speedy outfielder can do, both with his bat and his glove. There are questions about both.
Crawford did everything in the minors that the Phillies wanted to see. In his first taste of Triple-A action, he slashed .334/.411/.452 with an .863 OPS, seven home runs and 46 stolen bases in 112 games.
He obviously didn't develop a home run swing in Lehigh Valley but has multi-base power nonetheless with 23 doubles and four triples. Even if there are a lot of ground balls, Crawford has the speed to be a dynamic game-changer.
The Phillies had the 21-year-old, who will turn 22 before Opening Day, work on his defense this season with the IronPigs. Despite not being sure if he will be an MLB-level defender in center earlier this offseason, Dombrowski told the media on Tuesday that they're going to give him a runway with plenty of playing time, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer's Scott Lauber.
"If you're going to give Crawford an opportunity, you've got to give it to him," Dombrowski said, per Lauber. "And that's where we are. We're going to give him an opportunity and have him play a lot."
While this news of the outfield being all but set for next season likely won't land well with a large chunk of the fanbase, this is how Dombrowski and the Phillies plan to move forward. We could be in for a pleasant surprise or an absolute disaster.