With a desire to switch things up heading into 2025, the Philadelphia Phillies remain in the market for outfield upgrades as we inch closer to the holiday season and the changing over to a new year.
It's difficult to say that the Phillies haven't at least been trying to land reinforcements out in the grass this winter, but so far, they've come up empty-handed. The club has expressed some level of interest in the likes of Kyle Tucker, Teoscar Hernandez and most recently Cody Bellinger, but nothing has come to be yet. In fact, Tucker and Bellinger both have already found new homes, resulting in a big swing-and-a-miss from Dave Dombrowski and Co.
With a historically aggressive front office and multiple different avenues to go down when seeking out roster upgrades, it's understandable that Phillies fans are ripping their hair out as their team continues to miss out on some of the best-available talent this offseason.
Just to add further fuel to the flame, the Chicago Cubs sending Bellinger to the New York Yankees likely slammed the door on another ideal target for the Phillies in Seiya Suzuki.
Cubs trading Cody Bellinger may take Seiya Suzuki off the table for the Phillies
Now that Bellinger and his astoundingly expensive contract is no longer the Cubs' problem, the organization has much less of a need to shed payroll. They're looking to either continue to spend in free agency or hand out a shiny new extension to Tucker, their most recent big-ticket acquisition.
This means that Suzuki and his own large contract are likely staying put. The 30-year-old has done nothing but rake since coming Stateside in the 2022 campaign. While he doesn't have the hardware to back it up, he's been one of the more consistent and productive outfielders in the game, at least on offense. He's recorded 55 home runs with 193 RBI across three seasons, hitting .278 with an impressive .824 OPS and 128 OPS+ in that time.
This is yet another frustrating development for the Phillies, as Suzuki would be a great fit on their club, even if it's as a defensively-limited corner outfielder and occasional designated hitter. Philadelphia needs offense out of their outfielders, especially bats that can handle left-handed pitching, which Brandon Marsh cannot.
Missing out on top targets has been the theme of the offseason so far for the Phillies, but Suzuki is likely no longer available for them. Now, their best chances at pivoting sit with the likes of Hernandez or Anthony Santander, who remain on the open market.