The Philadelphia Phillies' outfield remains their weakest position group with spring training games on the horizon and they just watched the division rival New York Mets sign outfielder Mike Tauchman to a minor league deal on Monday. The veteran could've improved the Phillies' outfield depth.
Justin Crawford, who may end up being their best outfielder during the regular season, hasn't played a game in the majors. Philadelphia will also have a change in right field with Adolis García replacing the recently released Nick Castellanos.
Left field looks to be a problematic position for Philadelphia this year. Brandon Marsh isn't someone manager Rob Thomson can play full-time. Otto Kemp, who looks to be the favorite for the platoon role at the position, doesn't play in the outfield regularly. Thomson could've used another experienced player, such as Tauchman, in his rotation.
Phillies missed an opportunity to improve outfield depth in spring training after Mets sign Mike Tauchman
The Phillies missed an opportunity to add more depth to their outfield group by not adding Tauchman on a minor league deal. The 35-year-old is an experienced player who Thomson could've used in a platoon role. The Palatine, Illinois, native missed time with a right hamstring strain early on in 2025 and a right knee meniscus tear that ended his season.
Tauchman totaled nine home runs, 40 RBIs, along with a .263/.356/.400 slash line and a .756 OPS in 93 games with the Chicago White Sox last year. He played 108 games with the Chicago Cubs in 2023 and a career-high 109 games in 2024.
The outfielder has been used at all three outfield positions during his MLB career: 190 games in right field, 150 in left, and 135 in center. A left-handed batter, he would have been a decent option for Thomson to pair with right-handed García in right field. The Phillies manager could've also paired Tauchman with a right-handed batter, such as Kemp, in left field, moving the left-handed-hitting Marsh to right field to pair with García.
The Mets were also thin on depth in their outfield this winter, particularly in right field. They've made a flurry of moves over the past month, most notably signing Bo Bichette, much to the Phillies' and their fan base's chagrin, and trading for Luis Robert Jr. and Freddy Peralta. The Tauchman signing is another example of their front office being more aggressive than Philadelphia's this offseason.
Tauchman wouldn't have been someone Thomson could have played every day. He might not have even made the Opening Day roster. But having that extra depth could've been useful over the course of the six-month regular season.