The Philadelphia Phillies have had a relatively quiet offseason so far.
Their only notable move at last week’s MLB winter meetings was signing two-time All-Star reliever Jordan Romano, who was non-tendered by the Toronto Blue Jays after undergoing season-ending elbow surgery in 2024.
The Phillies stayed out of the Juan Soto sweepstakes and couldn’t finalize a deal with the Houston Astros for three-time All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker. Reportedly, the Phillies offered third baseman Alec Bohm and outfielder Nick Castellanos, but the Astros declined.
In addition to putting Bohm and Castellanos on the table, the Phillies are said to be open to trading All-Star pitcher Ranger Suárez. The team is aiming to bolster both their outfield offense and the back end of their rotation. While top prospect Andrew Painter is recovering from Tommy John surgery, he likely won’t make his MLB debut until mid-2025.
Though some Phillies fans may be growing impatient, there’s still plenty of time left in the offseason. Several power-hitting outfielders, including Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernández, remain available, and one MLB insider predicts the Phillies will land one of them.
MLB insider believes Philadelphia Phillies will sign this All-Star outfielder
ESPN MLB insider David Schoenfield predicts the Phillies will sign Anthony Santander.
Santander, a 2024 first-time All-Star with the Baltimore Orioles, has hit 105 home runs over the past three seasons, including 44 this year. The switch-hitter would provide an immediate boost to an offense that ranked 15th in OPS from left field. If the Phillies land Santander, they could shift Brandon Marsh back to center field, where he would platoon with Johan Rojas.
“The Phillies are going to make a move — and they should, given their veteran, win-now roster that has fallen short in the playoffs the past two years. Santander adds depth to a lineup that, while powerful, still hit fewer home runs than the [New York] Mets and Atlanta Braves in 2024,” Schoenfield notes.
However, Santander isn’t without his drawbacks. His defense is subpar, his career on-base percentage sits at just .307, and he’s not a threat on the basepaths.
Still, for a Phillies team eager to shake up its lineup, the front office may be willing to overlook those flaws if Santander delivers home runs at Citizens Bank Park.
Schoenfield projects Santander will sign a three-year, $69 million deal.
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