With the Philadelphia Phillies’ recent signing of veteran outfielder Max Kepler, they have solidly addressed their lack of offensive potential from the outfield position. However, in doing so, the Phillies now have four capable starting outfielders but only three spots to fill on an everyday basis for the 2025 season. So could the addition of Kepler actually lead to the end of their Phillies’ tenure for one of them?
MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki addressed that possibility in a recent episode of Foul Territory. With Nick Castellanos looking to be a lock in his position, along with Johan Rojas starting to find his game in Dominican Winter Ball, all fingers appear to point towards veteran Brandon Marsh as the odd one out.
With Max Kepler signed, will Brandon Marsh be on the move if the right deal comes up for the Phillies?
Zolecki highlighted that Marsh is a player who has multiple years of team control and could play great in left field, as well as in center field, along with hitting right-handed pitching well. However, he has yet to develop into the everyday player that the Phillies had hoped he would.
"I think Brandon Marsh is a great name right there," Zolecki said. "A guy with multiple years of team control. He can play a great left field. He's an above-average center fielder. He hits right-handed pitching well, has not really developed in to the everyday player the Phillies have hoped he would."
But more important is the phrase that Zolecki says Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has emphasized all offseason, often reiterating the notion of being "open-minded in how we need to improve this team.”
With that, Zolecki believes that if “the right situation came up,” the Phillies could potentially include Marsh in a trade package to upgrade a particular area. At the same time, Kepler should be able to take over center field without any worries.
Could the @Phillies be looking to deal Brandon Marsh?
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) December 20, 2024
@ToddZolecki weighs in on the offseason in Philly 🤔 pic.twitter.com/sCehebpufX
Last season, Marsh posted a .249 batting average with a career-high 16 home runs and 19 stolen bases for the Phillies. However, for his career, he has usually averaged just about 14 home runs and 66 RBI over a 162-game schedule pace while batting closer to the bottom of the lineup.
On the other hand, despite an injury-riddled 2024 season, Kepler has, for the most part, been an offensive force throughout his MLB career for the Minnesota Twins. He has averaged 24 home runs and 77 RBI while predominantly batting closer to the heart of the order. With both of their defensive abilities likely cancelling each other out, it gives Kepler the upper hand with his greater offensive potential.
So there’s no doubt it would make Marsh now a potential trade chip that the Phillies could use to address other needs if needed. But wouldn’t the Phillies be even better to have the flexibility to deploy any combination of Rojas, Marsh and Kepler based on matchups to give Philadelphia the best chance at winning? Especially given Kepler’s recent injury history, having that one extra MLB-ready player could be invaluable insurance for the Phillies to have just in case.
But as Zolecki mentions, if the right situation and player actually came up for the Phillies, they could seriously consider moving Marsh to get it done. However, as a Phillies fan favorite in recent years, it would sure be a hard pill to swallow for his supporters.