Outfielders The Phillies Should Acquire Sooner Rather Than Later

Now that it’s official that Phillies superstar Bryce Harper is going to miss a good chunk of time, President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski has some decisions to make. Do the Phillies, who are currently 1.5 games out of a playoff spot, trust what they have on the roster now and wait for Harper to come back, or do they go out and make some trades to fill the massive void in the Phils lineup?

 

 

To me, it’s fairly simple. If the Phillies truly consider themselves playoff contenders, then Dombrowski needs to treat the roster that way. I shouldn’t have to state the obvious fact that the Phillies will not be able to make do with some combination of Matt Vierling, Mickey Moniak, and Odubel Herrera manning two outfield positions. We’ve seen what those players are, the Phillies cannot expect them to make enough of an impact to, and I say this very lightly, “replace” Bryce Harper.

 

Vierling is a solid contact hitter and can spray the ball from gap-to-gap, and plays decently enough in all three outfield spots (though centerfield is his ugliest fit). Moniak, at this point in his major league career, is essentially a guaranteed out. The poor kid looks like he’s swinging a toothpick.

 

As for Herrera, I’m so tired of seeing this dude on the Phillies. I’m not sure what kind of dirt he has on some of these front office people that he has stuck around for so long. He’s one of the stupidest center fielders I’ve ever seen and his approach at the plate is mind-numbing. What makes him even more frustrating are his well-documented off the field issues, that quite frankly, I can’t forgive.

 

The best course of action for the Phillies is to nose-dive into the outfield trade market. I don’t mean wait until the August 2nd deadline either, they need to hop on this situation right now. Knowing the up-and-down personality this team has shown over the years, Dombrowski cannot waste time seeing if the aforementioned trio can figure it out on the fly. Go get some dudes that you know for a fact can play. Lucky enough for you, Dave, I’ve come up with an extensive list of options for you! You’re welcome!

 

High Cost, High Reward

 

These are the guys that will undoubtedly make an immediate impact. Because of that, not only will they cost a decent amount, they will also be highly coveted by other teams which will only drive up a team’s asking price. That being said, every one of these players is worth it, despite the fact the Dombrowski would have to part with at least one of the few good prospects the Phillies have.

 

As someone who tends to believe giving up prospects for impact players is almost always worth it, I think it would be foolish for the Phillies to not try and go hard after one of these names. I put any of these players in the category of, “any prospect but Andrew Painter and Mick Abel is fair game, and may I interest you in a nice former #1 overall pick Mickey Moniak?” Because of the high cost, this would likely be the Phillies only big in-season move, but as I’ll continually say throughout this section, it’ll be mightily worth it for a team desperate for real outfielders.

 

Bryan Reynolds – Center Fielder, Pittsburgh Pirates

The 2021 all-star is one of the best center fielders in the game despite having played his entire career for a team that doesn’t know the objective of sports is winning games. The swtich-hitting Reynolds is a career .283 hitter in 3-plus seasons in the majors, and had 24 homers and 90 RBI a year ago en route to finishing 11th in NL MVP voting. He’s having a down year this season, but his power numbers are still there as he has 23 extra-base hits in 70 games.

 

Defensively, he probably projects best as a long-term corner outfielder, but he’s still a good enough center fielder to play there everyday. He would arguably cost the most of any name on this list, but he’d be the most worth it. He’d also be under team control through the 2025 season.

 

Cedric Mullins – Center Fielder, Baltimore Orioles

Another all-star in 2021, Mullins has really come back down to earth after a season that saw him finish 9th in AL MVP voting. That being said, he is worlds better than any of the jokester’s the Phils are throwing out in centerfield these days. While his numbers are down from last year, they are still in line with his career .264 average and high defensive metrics. Mullins is also an aggressive speedster, at least by today’s standards, as he’s third in the American League in stolen bases.

 

Mullins is a small step down from Reynolds in the batter’s box, but his speed and above-average glove makeup for that. Mullins, like Reynolds, would kill three birds with one stone as a legitimate center fielder who excels as a leadoff hitter and also bats left-handed. He too is under team control through 2025.

 

 

Andrew Benintendi – Left Fielder, Kansas City Royals

Benintendi is expected to be one of the most expensive rentals on the market. Despite his contract being up at the end of the season, he’ll cost a decent amount because of the superb season he’s having. While he only has 3 ding-dongs to his name, he’s hit at least 16 homers three times in his career, and Citizens Bank Park has a favorable porch for lefties. That power potential to go along with his .299 batting average, the highest of his career, is more than enough reason for any contending team to have interest.

 

While he likely wouldn’t be able to fill the void of center field he is certainly an upgrade over Schwarber or Castellanos in either corner outfield spot. Dombrowski also has a prior familiarity with Benintendi, as they were in Boston at the same time en route to their 2018 championship.

 

Ramon Laureano – Utility Outfielder, Oakland Athletics

Laureano is coming off of an 80-game suspension handed down last year for performance-enhancing drugs. Through 44 games, Laureano has struggled to find his footing in Oakland. Of the four names listed, he would almost certainly cost the least because of his performance this season. Even still, there’s a reason to believe he could turn the corner.

 

Laureano had 14 homers in 88 games a season ago before suffering an injury and then serving his suspension. He’s what the people would call sneaky powerful. That, plus his outstanding glove and rocket of a right arm makes him a somewhat tantalizing last resort “big” option for the Phils. With the A’s looking to sell anything of value (including the franchise in general), it’s worth it for Dombrowski to at least kick the tires and see if he can get Laureano for cheap if he strikes out on the first three names. He’s under team control through 2024.

 

 

Impactful Rentals

 

A trade for these players wouldn’t command a king’s ransom or any of the Phillies top prospects. That in-and-of-itself makes any of these names attractive options. That being said, they wouldn’t exactly be going for pennies on the dollar either, as teams may not have enough of an incentive to move on from them this far removed from the deadline.

 

Dombrowski, known lover of trades, would be hard-pressed to take no as an answer for any of these guys if he truly wanted them. These players would likely cost an average prospect or a decent big-league player. I call this the, “may I interest you in Simon Muzziotti and please, for the love of God, take Odubel Herrera,” category.

 

Ian Happ – Outfielder, Chicago Cubs

Okay, this is kind of cheating because Happ wouldn’t technically be a rental, as his contract is up in 2023. Happ is another utility outfielder who would be an upgrade defensively at any spot. He’s also quietly having the best offensive season of his career, as he’s hitting .279 with eight taters and 36 RBI. For those of you wondering at home, yes, those are better than Castellanos’ numbers.

 

Anywho, I still put Happ in this category rather than the one above because I don’t think he’ll cost as much as those guys. That, plus his good offensive numbers, defensive versatility, and the fact that he’s a switch hitter should put him at the top of Dave Dombrowski’s wish list. I hope he’s on the phone with the Cubs right now, because if he’s not, someone else is.

 

 

Whit Merrifield – Utility Outfielder/Infielder, Kansas City Royals

It feels like Merrifield has been on the trading block for three years and the Royals have never budged, for some reason. Now, he’s primed to go for less than he would have in previous years, which is good news for the Phils. Merrifield’s numbers are way down from his career numbers, but I’d bank on him still being a professional contact hitter at the plate who can slap singles all over the yard.

 

Merrifield is one of the best in the game when it comes to stealing bases, so he would be a good fit as a natural leadoff hitter. Merrifield can also play quite literally every single position, as he’s played everywhere but behind the dish during his career. He’s played center, right, and second base this season. That kind of versatility would be ginormous for a team full of terrible fielders.

 

Tommy Pham – Corner Outfielder, Cincinnati Reds

Pham, best known for slapping Joc Pederson in the face over a fantasy football beef, is quietly having a season that will almost certainly get him out of Cincinnati by August. While his batting average is just .245, his on-base percentage is nearly 100 points higher as he’s got the 13th-most walks in the National League. He’s still got some power left in him, too, as he’s got 10 homers and 9 doubles in 64 games.

 

His glove may not be as good as some other guys on this list, but he’s still an upgrade defensively over Schwarber and Castellanos. He wouldn’t be able to play center, so his fit once Harper comes back would be iffy to say the least. Still, that might be worth it if he provides a spark over the next two months.

 

 

David Peralta – Corner Outfielder, Arizona Diamondbacks

Peralta, like Pham, is another outfielder who at this point in his career cannot play center field, leading to an awkward fit when Harper returns. Despite that, Peralta would check some other boxes for the Phils. He’s a left-handed bat who can hit for power, with 24 extra-base hits in 64 games, playing in a park that favors lefty power bats.

 

The only downside to Peralta is that he’s barely an upgrade over Schwarber in left field, so he’d most likely be forced to play right field, a position he hasn’t played since 2018, if he or Schwarber aren’t DH’ing. Still, he would likely come very cheap as he’s on an expiring deal, and much like Mr. Krabs, Dave Dombrowski should love cheap.

 

Please, Dave, I’m Begging

 

I cannot stand watching Odubel Herrera and Mickey Moniak regularly get at-bats for a team that wants to contend. If Dombrowski doesn’t get on the phone, I have a plan to seize control of the organization and make the trades for him. Don’t make me do that, Dave.

 

 

By Matt Szczypiorski | June 28, 2022
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