What does the Phillies’ Winter Meetings wish list look like?

The Winter Meetings are fast approaching, and with the annual event comes the anticipation of the possibilities of all the moves that can be made, free agents who could be signed, and trades that might be wheeled.

It's a tradition that adds early excitement to the long Major League Baseball offseason.

When team owners, executives, agents, players, and everyone else in the MLB orbit meet in Nashville next week, what can Philadelphia Phillies fans expect to see from their front office? What moves will president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski and general manager Sam Fuld be looking to make in Music City?

Even though Dombrowski has publicly stated a couple of times that they feel good with their group, he can't be done shopping to improve the roster.

"We’re in a position where we can just evaluate a lot of different things that make our club better,” Dombrowski said at Aaron Nola's press conference. “We don’t have really a glaring spot that we need to fill ... we needed a starting pitcher, but we’re pretty deep in our bullpen. Of course you can always be better ... We don’t really have a glaring need, but we’ll continue to look to see how we can get better."

There it is. The tiny sliver of an opening that we, as fans, needed to hear to be sure that Dombrowski and Fuld are still looking for upgrades for their team.

So in what categories will the Phillies be browsing at the shopping frenzy of the Winter Meetings?

NEXT: Outfield and bench depth are on the wish list.

The Phillies' outfield isn't set in stone, neither is the bench

While the infield is pretty well set, with a pair of superstars and a couple of youngsters, the outfield remains more of an enigma. Dombrowski has already said that Johan Rojas doesn't have a job solidified for next season, and he repeated that sentiment at Nola's presser last week.

"Our positional players, our infield is basically set," he said. "Outfield, we have a little bit of a question just because of a young player [Rojas] that was trying to create some playing time."

So who can the Phillies possibly bring back from Nashville that would help improve the outfield, or deepen the bench?

Some names mentioned recently (subscription required) by The Athletic's Jim Bowden as Phillies' free agent targets for a right-handed bench bat include Whit Merrifield, Nick Senzel, and Brian Anderson. All three players can play outfield or infield, but none are exceptional defensively.

If these three are the Phillies' Winter Meetings targets, it would be about the team adding versatility to the bench. Merrifield's bat is the only one worth a gamble if they're looking for fewer strikeouts and more contact from a right-handed bat. He hit .272 with a 17.1 strikeout rate and contributed 26 stolen bases to the Toronto Blue Jays' feeble offense this past season.

If they're looking to trade for another outfielder, Bowden suggests TJ Friedl as an option. He can hold his own in the field, with one DRS and five OAA in 2023. He hit .279 with one of the lowest strikeout rates (16.2 percent), has some pop (18 home runs), and can run the bases (27 steals). The only catch is that he's another left-handed bat, of which the Phillies have more than enough.

NEXT: Bullpen reinforcements will, hopefully, be on the way.

Starting pitching is still on the Phillies' wish list

Starting pitching is still on the Phillies' wish list, even if it's no longer the top priority with Nola back in the fold.

Despite Dombrowski's insistence that the rotation is set for 2024, there's no way the Phillies are finished tinkering. Sure, they could go into next season with the same five with whom they finished the year. But don't think for a second that the Phillies' dynamic front office duo wouldn't jump at the chance to upgrade the starting five if such an opportunity were to present itself.

We've already written about the main players in the free agent starting pitcher sweepstakes. There's the highly-coveted Japanese pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and his less expensive fellow countryman Shōta Imanaga. There are the obvious options like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery, although those now seem unlikely. And there are the sleeper options, like Eduardo Rodriguez, Lucas Giolito, and Marcus Stroman.

If the Phillies can improve their rotation via trade, the primary names that have been bandied about include the Guardians' Shane Bieber, the Rays' Tyler Glasnow, and Dylan Cease of the White Sox. The payroll-shedding Milwaukee Brewers may move Corbin Burnes, but that seems out of the Phillies' stratosphere for one year of the ace's services.

It doesn't seem like the Phillies will make a big splash like they did a year ago when they inked Trea Turner to his 11-year deal, but you never can be quite sure what will happen at the Winter Meetings. You can guarantee, however, that there will be plenty more speculation and rumors until we get actual news about the deals going down in Nashville next week.

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