Ranking 5 available free agent center fielders for Phillies to target for 2025

The Philadelphia Phillies' outfield situation heading into 2025 is up in the air outside of Nick Castellanos and Brandon Marsh. The organization will likely enter spring training with the same group as in 2024 but with more competition.

Top outfield prospect Justin Crawford, who’s on a fast track through the minor league system, could be given an opportunity to make the big league roster. The Phillies still have control over Austin Hays, Johan Rojas and Weston Wilson. The Phillies may look for outside help to fix the issues that plagued the outfield in 2024, but it has to make sense.

Ranking 5 available free agent center fielders for Phillies to target heading into 2025

There are a few impactful center fielders available in free agency, including a former MVP who can opt out of his deal. Here are five options that the Phillies could target:

No. 5: Garrett Hampson

Garret Hampson is a super utility player who can play all over the diamond. The 30-year-old hasn’t had much success at the plate in his seven-year career, but he’s a good fielder with some speed.

Hampson slashed .230/.275/.300 with a .575 OPS, 13 doubles, one triple and 16 RBI in 213 at-bats for the Kansas City Royals in 2024. He went 3-for-3 with three RBI and a run scored in the postseason.

Hampson was on a one-year, $2 million deal with the Royals and likely will receive a similar contract in free agency. 

No. 4: Enrique Hernández

Enrique Hernández, also known as Kiké, is another super utility player for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He can play all over the diamond making him a valuable option for a team.

The 33-year-old isn’t known for his production at the plate. Hernández is a career .238 hitter and slashed .229/.281/.373 with a .654 OPS, 16 doubles, 12 home runs and 42 RBI in 2024. He struck out just 77 times and was below the league average in strikeout percentage, however.

The 11-year veteran has a .306 average in 36 at-bats for the Dodgers in this year’s postseason after Game 1 of the World Series. He has a career .279 average with 15 home runs in 215 postseason at-bats. Hernández would be well in the Phillies’ budget and is expected to sign a one-year, $2.8 million contract.

No. 3: Kevin Pillar

Kevin Pillar has spent time with nine teams throughout his 12-year career, most notably with the Toronto Blue Jays. The 35-year-old is nearing the end of his career, but he still offers versatility in the outfield.

Pillar is known for his above-average defensive abilities and not so much his offensive production. He has a career .991 fielding percentage and has made quite a few highlight-reel plays throughout his career.

He slashed just .229/.291/.377 with a .668 OPS, 16 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 45 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 2024. The Phillies would get a defensive veteran presence with speed for cheap if they were to sign Pillar. He’s expected to sign a one-year, $1.2 million contract.

No. 2: Harrison Bader

Harrison Bader is another defensive center field option who has some speed to swipe bases on the base paths. He won a Gold Glove in 2021 with the St. Louis Cardinals and has experience playing all three outfield positions.

Bader has never hit over .270 in a season in his eight-year career. The 30-year-old slashed .236/.284/.373 with a .657 OPS, 19 doubles, 12 home runs, 51 RBI and 17 stolen bases for the New York Mets in 2024.

Bader signed a one-year, $10.5 million contract with the Mets, but he’s expected to sign a one-year, $7.1 million deal for his next contract. He’s not out of the Phillies’ price range, but it might make more sense to put that money elsewhere.

No. 1: Cody Bellinger

Cody Bellinger once looked to be the face of Major League Baseball. The 29-year-old broke into the league as the 2017 Rookie of the Year. He’s a two-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, 2018 NLCS MVP, 2019 Gold Glove winner, 2019 All-MLB First Team selection, 2019 MVP, 2020 World Series champion and 2023 Comeback Player of the Year.

Bellinger slashed .305/.406/.629 with a 1.035 OPS, 34 doubles, three triples, 47 home runs, 115 RBI and added 15 stolen bases on top of that in his MVP season with the Dodgers. He wasn’t able to replicate that, partly due to injuries, and struggled the next three seasons before getting a fresh start with the Chicago Cubs in 2023.

Bellinger showed flashes of his MVP form in 2023 slashing .307/.356/.525 with a .881 OPS, 29 doubles, one triple, 26 home runs, 97 RBI, 20 stolen bases and only 87 strikeouts. His numbers went slightly down in 2024, but he was still productive.

The left-handed hitter doesn’t just offer value at the plate, he’s also a versatile defender. He has experience playing all three outfield positions and can be used at first base.

Bellinger has two years remaining on his contract, but he has an option to opt out this offseason. There were rumors about the possibility of the Phillies trading for Bellinger ahead of the trade deadline, so there could be interest if he becomes a free agent. His projected market value is $24.2 million per year.

Final consensus on available free agent center fielders for Phillies to target heading into 2025

Other than Bellinger, the Phillies likely won’t find a huge upgrade over Rojas and Marsh in center field. The organization should give the players already on the roster a chance to earn the job.

It would be smarter for president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski to look to relief pitchers in free agency and put the available money toward that. The Phillies bullpen needs some work after a late-season and playoff collapse.

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