The Philadelphia Phillies front office has continued to strikeout on making good on the team's early offseason goal of signing or acquiring impact players to fix a Phillies outfield that was ranked No. 20 out of 30 teams in offensive WAR last season. Now that offseason targets such as Juan Soto, Cody Bellinger, Kyle Tucker, and Tyler O'Neil have found new homes in recent weeks, the wait continues for the Phillies to assert themselves in a thinning free agent outfield market.
Will the Phillies make a last minute play to sign top remaining outfield bat Teoscar Hernández before other rival ball clubs enter into the discussion? Not so fast according to recent comments from MLB.com baseball insider Mark Feinsand, as Feinsand listed the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays as being more aggressive in the pursuit of Hernández this offseason. With popular trade chip Alec Bohm continuing to generate very little interest in trade discussions with rival GM's, the likelihood of another season of Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas, and Nick Castellanos is starting to become a disappointing reality.
It sure doesn't sound like Johan Rojas is doing himself many favors in Winter Ball
The idea of the Phillies entering into the 2025 season with the same outfield is a scary proposition, especially with incumbent left-fielder Brandon Marsh's inability to hit enough against left-handed pitching still an ongoing concern. The Phillies are also hoping free-swinging right-fielder Nick Castellanos will chase less pitches outside of the zone next season, an organizational desire that looks the part of trying to teach an old dog new tricks.
But Marsh and Castellanos have shown the ability to hit enough and validate their spots on the field and in the lineup. When it comes to defensively gifted but offensively limited centerfielder Johan Rojas, the jury is still out regarding what type of player the 22-year-old will be at the MLB level. Following a 2024 season that saw Rojas bat an unremarkable .249 with three home runs and 32 RBI, while posting an anemic .279 OBP. Recent comments from Phillies manager Rob Thomson on MLB Network Radio regarding Rojas' offensive performance in the Dominican Winter League didn't add much optimism to the youngster’s case for starting games in 2025.
"He's in the Dominican right now," offered Thomson. "And Rafi Pena, one of our assistant hitting coaches is with him right now, and the last time I checked he was hitting about .260, but I've looked at all those at bats. But I think there is a little bit of improvement. It's really early in the process."
While Rojas' glove and speed on the bases (25 steals last season) have never been in question, the inconsistent ability to make contact at the plate and poor instincts as a runner remain an ongoing concern. Factor in some poor results when asked to bunt, and the bigger picture of Rojas as a project needing a complete offensive overhaul comes into greater focus. Thomson's further evaluation of Rojas' play in Winter Ball is far from a ringing endorsement.
"(We) still see some smothers and ground balls, and chase and big swings," added Thomson. "We really want him to cut down his swing, use the entire field, think line drive, be able to bunt and move runners, and do some little things to help the offense out."
Currently batting .307 with 23 hits, one home run, and eight RBI in 75 at-bats in the Dominican Winter League, Rojas has shown recent signs of offensive success. How will that translate at the MLB level against far superior pitching remains to be seen. Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski didn't hesitate to name top outfield prospect Justin Crawford as a player who could challenge Rojas for the centerfield job in spring training next year, so Rojas' growth as a hitter this winter could be the deciding factor in where we see Rojas suiting up next season.