Phillies rumors: 5 free agents named as potential outfield solutions for Philadelphia
With the MLB Winter Meetings wrapping up, the Philadelphia Phillies have so far remained quiet with free agent signings and roster-changing trades. Unless you count extending manager Rob Thomson to a contract through 2025, it has been a snooze fest in Nashville. But that doesn't mean that Dave Dombrowski and company haven't at least pointed to a few directions the team might explore as the Hot Stove continues to burn.
Two obvious needs for the Phillies became abundantly clear during the season-ending loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks in the NLCS: a bullpen arm capable of getting big outs in the ninth inning, and a right-handed hitting outfielder who can platoon with Brandon Marsh and provide some steady offense.
There's little doubt that rookie Johan Rojas has the defensive skills to be an elite Major League outfielder. The question right now is how much Rojas will improve at the plate, and will that improvement come with the big club or with a little more seasoning in Triple-A? It's telling that Topper danced around the topic when meeting with the media.
A recent story by MLB.com writer Todd Zolecki pointed to some names that might fit the Phillies' needs.
"The Phillies are considering more outfield depth with uncertainty surrounding Johan Rojas in center field and Brandon Marsh having not yet established himself as an everyday player," writes Zolecki. "Again, that does not mean [Juan] Soto. Think more along the lines of Adam Duvall, Kiké Hernández, Michael A. Taylor or Whit Merrifield, among others."
Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer also floated Tommy Pham as a possible free agent to watch.
Let's take a look a closer look at some of these players who might end up in Philadelphia.
Adam Duvall
Adam Duvall was a name the Phillies were linked to at the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline when obtaining a right-handed bat to platoon with Brandon Marsh seemed a likely Aug. 1 possibility. Ultimately retained by the Boston Red Sox for the remainder of the season, Duvall had a solid but injury-plagued 2023.
Injuries have been an issue with Duvall, and he's only appeared in over 100 games five times in his ten-year Major League career. That would make him a good fit for a Phillies team looking for someone to slide in and out of the everyday lineup.
A solid defender with plus power, Duvall hit .247 with 21 home runs and 58 RBI during the 2023 season in only 92 games. A one-time All-Star in 2016 with the Cincinnati Reds, the 35-year-old has played for five teams in ten years and looks certain to be on the move again this offseason. Striking out is part of his game, but the power and run production he provides would undoubtedly add to an already fearsome Phillies lineup.
Kiké Hernández
Enrique "Kiké" Hernández is another interesting option floated as a possibility to split time with Brandon Marsh in Philadelphia.
The 32-year-old Hernández built his reputation during his first run with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a super-utility man capable of playing all over the diamond when needed. He carried that success to the Boston Red Sox as a free agent in 2021 and, at one point, became the primary center fielder for the ball club.
Hernández shifted back to the infield in 2023 to fill the vacant starting shortstop job in Boston following injuries to Trevor Story and the loss of Xander Bogaerts to free agency. The end result was nothing short of dreadful as his defense and bat entered an alarming downward spiral.
Having seen enough, the Red Sox traded him back to the Dodgers as a courtesy move instead of designating him for assignment. A career .239 hitter with 108 home runs and 393 RBI, Hernández has a personality that would certainly work in the Phillies' tight-knit locker room. But is there enough left on the field to justify his place on the 40-man roster?
Michael A. Taylor
Signing a player like Michael A. Taylor seems more like the Phillies' direction this offseason. Dave Dombrowski has hinted that is how the team is looking to construct the Major League roster heading into 2024.
Phillies fans are sure to be familiar with Taylor from his seven seasons playing for the National League East rival Washington Nationals. Former Nationals players seem to do pretty well in Philadelphia. Bryce Harper and Trea Turner, anyone?
Okay, we're clearly not talking about that caliber of player here, but let's take a look at Taylor's 2023 season.
In Taylor's one season with the Minnesota Twins, he posted a stat line of .220 with 21 home runs and 51 RBI across 129 games. The 21 home runs were a career-high for the 32-year-old, and he may be looking to capitalize on that milestone with a multi-year pact for a team that believes his 2023 power surge wasn't an aberration. A Gold Glove Award winner in 2021 as a member of the Kansas City Royals, Taylor is more than capable of handling the dimensions of Citizens Bank Park.
Whit Merrifield
Another more unlikely option is free agent Whit Merrifield. A professional hitter with positional versatility, Merrifield has been an everyday player since he broke into the Majors with the Kansas City Royals in 2016.
In 2023 playing for the Toronto Blue Jays, the 34-year-old played second base (84 games), left field (81 games), and right field (6 games). A free agent for the first time, expect Merrifield to explore options to start for a rebuilding team in need of a veteran presence.
While Merrifield checks off the box as a right-handed hitter, his lack of playing time in center field since 2022 should make him a long shot for the Phillies to pursue in free agency. Coming off a season where he batted .272 with 11 home runs and 67 RBI, the bat is definitely there, but it's just too weird of a fit unless there's a belief that Bryson Stott will also need to sit against left-handed pitching. Whit Merrifield to the Phillies is unlikely.
Tommy Pham
Tommy Pham is a name Phillies fans will certainly remember from this past season. As a member of the NL champion Arizona Diamondbacks, Pham played a small role in ending the Phillies' quest to get back to the World Series. But that doesn't mean we have to hold that against him.
At 35 years old, Pham had a solid season split between the New York Mets and Diamondbacks. No stranger to being dealt by teams, Pham has played for seven teams in ten seasons. Tommy Pham will certainly be wearing a new hat in 2024. Should it be with the Phillies?
The only reason to be skeptical of Tommy Pham signing with the Phillies this offseason is due to his lack of time playing center field in recent seasons. Sure, the Phillies could add a left fielder capable of the occasional start in center field, but that depends on how the Phillies plan to use Christian Pache or other internal options at the minor league level in 2024.
Pham's numbers from last season were pretty solid, with a .256 batting average, 16 home runs, 68 RBI, and 22 stolen bases. Signing Pham would make sense for a Phillies team looking to create chaos with a deeper lineup in 2024.
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