3 trade options suggested to solve the Phillies’ center field problem
Do any of these suggestions make sense for the Phillies?
Somehow, three weeks into the season, we're still talking about the Philadelphia Phillies outfield. Specifically center field, where youngster Johan Rojas has been a focal point of debates, arguments, and perhaps some rational discussions since the beginning of the season.
Heck, you can trace the anxiety over Rojas' ability to perform as an everyday MLB center fielder back to the beginning of spring training and deep into the winter months of the offseason. Let's not get it twisted, however. It's not Rojas' ability in the outfield that is being called into question. At this point, everybody, even the most casual of fans, should be aware of that.
It's the bat that has garnered the ire of a portion of the fanbase, and for good reason. But let's be frank, if the rest of the Phillies lineup was doing what it was supposed to be doing, this wouldn't be a conversation — maybe. The 23-year-old has picked it up of late and is now hitting .245 with a .601 OPS through 17 games.
While we don't know how long Rojas' leash is at the big league level, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski is always working to improve the team. You can bet that he and general manager Sam Fuld have ongoing discussions on this topic.
3 trade options suggested to solve Phillies’ center field problem
Even though we're only a fraction of the way through the 2024 season, and the trade deadline seems a long way off, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report has already made the suggestion that the Phillies need to look elsewhere for a solution. He has offered three trade options the Phillies should consider to solve the problem in center field.
So, who does Rymer suggest the Phillies consider making a deal for? While one candidate stands out above the others, we'll look at all three to see if these suggestions make sense. Odds are none of these come to fruition, based on how much belief the front office and coaching staff have in Rojas, but it's worth an investigation.
J.J. Bleday (Oakland Athletics)
First up, JJ Bleday.
In his third MLB season, second with the Oakland Athletics, the 26-year-old is putting up the best numbers of his young career — which isn't saying much. Bleday was a first-round pick (fourth overall) of the Miami Marlins in 2019 and their No. 2 prospect for a couple of seasons.
Despite a good start with the A's in 2023, he hasn't lived up to the prospect pedigree he once had.
The right-hander is hitting .237 with a .608 OPS through 21 games (79 plate appearances) with the A's this season. He has one home run, driven in five and has yet to steal a base. Those aren't exactly inspiring numbers.
Rymer admits that Bleday isn't necessarily an overly attractive option, an assessment that's easy to agree with. While he has a plus arm, the Phillies would be sacrificing too much in the field with Bleday's 19th-percentile fielding range. Compare that to Rojas' 93rd percentile fielding range and 96th percentile fielding run value.
Despite the better batting average and slugging percentage, Bleday doesn't walk much, with a 3.8 percent walk rate, combined with a 22.8 percent strikeout rate. Rojas, despite his early struggles, has kept his strikeouts down to an impressive 12.7 percent clip while walking at a 7.3 percent rate. He's making the most of his time on base, with five steals in six attempts.
Rojas also offers more speed on the basepaths, with this 99th percentile sprint speed of 29.9 ft/s eclipsing Bleday's 27.3 ft/s.
Bleday has had more success early in the season, and would probably jump at the chance to switch from the perennial dumpster fire that is the Athletics to a World Series contender, but it just doesn't seem like a move that makes sense for the Phillies.
Dylan Carlson (St. Louis Cardinals)
Dylan Carlson is Rymer's second trade candidate to replace Johan Rojas in the Philadelphia Phillies outfield, although Carlson has yet to suit up in a game this season.
After starting the year on the 10-day IL with a shoulder injury suffered in a spring training collision, the 25-year-old St. Louis Cardinal outfielder is just ramping up baseball activities, as Katie Woo of The Athletic reports. Rymer suggests that Carlson is a prime change-of-scenery candidate, and according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Cardinals put him on the trade block this past winter.
A former first-round pick by the Cardinals and a NL Rookie of the Year finalist in 2021, Carlson has had a tough time living up to the expectations created by his rookie campaign. In the two seasons since breaking onto the scene, he has hit .230 with a .680 OPS, with just 13 home runs and eight steals in 743 plate appearances.
The one-time Cardinals No. 1 prospect brings good plate discipline to the table. He posted a 10.2 percent walk rate and 19.2 percent strikeout rate in half a season of action in 2023. His career 27.8 percent chase rate is better than the league average, as is his 9.3 percent whiff rate.
But there's really no benefit for the Phillies to pursue a trade for Carlson, even if a change of scenery would do him good. Rojas is by far a superior defender. While Carlson, like Bleday, is fast with a 27.9 ft/s sprint speed, Rojas is still faster.
Carlson, perhaps, has a higher ceiling if everything clicks for him, but he's had multiple seasons to try and put it together, and it hasn't happened for him yet. Rojas is still just 76 games into his major league career. The Phillies are better off taking their chances with arguably the best outfield defender in baseball and letting the offensive chips fall where they may — at least for now.
Michael A. Taylor (Pittsburgh Pirates)
If anyone is going to challenge Philadelphia Phillies center fielder with the glove, it's Michael A. Taylor. The 33-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder is in his 11th MLB season, and as a pending free agent on a one-year, $4 million deal, will likely be a trade chip for the Pirates this season, assuming they don't keep up their hot start.
Taylor, a former sixth-round pick of the Washington Nationals, has carved out a nice career for himself as a defensive outfielder. He has a career .240 batting average and a .683 OPS, but is off to a hot start this year, hitting .296 through 16 games. While he does carry a .322 on-base percentage early on, he's only swiped one bag.
So why wouldn't the Phillies want an established glove-first veteran patrolling center field at Citizens Bank Park? He won a Gold Glove in 2021 while with the Kansas City Royals, and Rymer even reasons that Taylor has sneaky power. He sounds like the perfect replacement for Rojas, right?
Here's the rub. Despite having an 88th-percentile barrel rate last season, Taylor had a less-than-impressive 25th-percentile average exit velocity of 88.1 mph. He did hit a ball at a career-high 114.3 mph last season, but it's not a common occurrence.
When you pair that with his 37.3 percent strikeout rate this year, it's an ugly scenario, especially when he's hitting 61.3 percent of his batted balls on the ground.
While his contact metrics are better this season, he hasn't clocked in with a sprint speed higher than 26.9 ft/s, which makes you wonder if Father Time has caught up to him and he's on the decline. The last thing this Phillies team needs is a declining 30-something veteran, even if it's just for a couple of months.
If Rojas does what the Phillies think he can do, he'll do enough at the bottom of the lineup and play Gold Glove defense in center field. Let's put the money on the youngster to figure it out at the plate, and leave the veteran Taylor in Pittsburgh.
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