Aug 19, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Arizona Diamondbacks center fielder Jake McCarthy (31) celebrates after scoring against the Miami Marlins during the third inning at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports Sam Navarro
At their best, the Phillies can't hit home runs about as well as any team in the sport with Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and Trea Turner.
However, as the Phillies have fallen short in each of the last two postseason runs, it's become apparent that they are a bit too reliant on hitting the ball out of the ballpark for their own good. Even the old baseball saying requires two bloops before hitting a blast.
Turner, despite some flaws, has been an upgrade over Jean Segura. However, the Phillies miss the ability of someone like Segura to put the ball in play, allowing runners to go first to third and setting the team up to get runs via a single or sac fly, and not always an extra-base hit.
The Phillies have a chance to improve internally in terms of making contact and hitting the ball to the opposite field, and it's pretty clear that they expect Turner and Bryson Stott to do that on a more consistent basis in 2025. Alec Bohm is also someone capable of hitting doubles at a high clip, but more than happy to serve a single into right field as well.
Still, building a balanced lineup for 2025 is going to require more than just internal improvements. At least one spot in manager Rob Thomson's starting lineup in 2025 might need to go to a player not currently in the organization with the ability to make contact on a consistent basis, and potentially lead off if the Phillies do move Schwarber to a different spot in the lineup.
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Obviously, the best singles hitter in the sport currently is Luis Arráez, who has now won three consecutive batting titles. He would be the perfect offensive player to set the table for the big bats in the Phillies lineup.
Unfortunately, he's got one more year before free agency and there's no reason to think the San Diego Padres would trade him. Also, Arráez is a natural second baseman, but has -33 outs above average at that position in his career. He's really more geared to be a first baseman or DH, two positions that are occupied in the Phillies lineup.
Still, putting the ball in play is coming back into style, and it's a clear need for the Phillies. Here are seven players that president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski could potentially try to acquire to fill that need.
There's a very real chance that this is a pipe dream, as Kwan still has three remaining arbitration years and the Guardians just reached the ALCS. But the Phillies should make Cleveland hang up the phone on them, because Kwan would be the perfect fit.
Not only is Kwan a two-time Gold Glover in left field, but he's a leadoff hitter who has developed more pop, but still hit .292 this season and can set the table for an offense.
The Guardians are not a team that typically pays market value to keep their stars. They still have a few years of control with Kwan, but would a package of, let's say, Justin Crawford, Brandon Marsh and Mick Abel intrigue them for the 27-year-old? It's at least worth making the phone call.
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The version of Profar that hit .280 with 29 doubles, 24 home runs and only a 15.1% strikeout rate for the Padres would be a really good fit for the Phillies as their starting left fielder in 2025.
However, Profar is a career .245 hitter with a .726 OPS. He was one of the game's top prospects with the Texas Rangers more than a decade ago, but he'll definitely be a risky investment in free agency coming off a career-year at age 31.
A first-round pick in 2021, Frelick is still only 24 years old and can't become a free agent until after the 2029 season. Because of that, the price to acquire him would likely be pretty high.
With that said, Jackson Chourio is now cemented one of the two corner outfield spots. Across 69 games in center field this past season for the Brewers, Garrett Mitchell — also a former first-round pick — posted eight defensive runs saved and an .812 OPS. And Christian Yelich probably will still see a bulk of his time in left field next year, even if DHing sometimes is a possibility.
The Brewers aren't just going to give away Frelick. He's also not someone who has shown much pop to this point at the MLB level, with just five home runs in 666 at-bats. But Frelick's nickname is "the Hit Collector" and he's graded out extremely well defensively in right field, while having experience in center and left as well.
He's an interesting change-of-scenery candidate. Even though he's a completely different type of hitter, he's a former high draft pick that's really young and fields well, which isn't that different from what Marsh was when when the Phillies landed him from the Los Angeles Angels in August of 2022.
Donovan won the Gold Glove Award for utility men in his rookie season of 2022, when he saw time at every position except catcher. The bulk of his time defensively this past year came in left field, with Donovan hitting .278 with 73 RBIs, 47 walks and just a 12.4% strikeout rate.
The 27-year-old will become eligible for arbitration for the first time this winter, meaning he has three remaining seasons before free agency. The Cardinals are an organization in transition, one that's clearly willing to move pricey veterans like Ryan Helsley, Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado. It's unclear if Donovan is someone they are hell-bent on being part of their long-term future, or would be willing to move.
With the plan being that Turner will remain the shortstop, unless the Phillies trade Stott or move him to another position, Hoerner might not be a fit from a positional sense. He won the NL Gold Glove at second base a year ago, and the bulk of his experience at the MLB level is as a middle infielder.
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Still, whether it's because Stott is traded — which feels unlikely, but who knows — or because the Phillies think Hoerner could play in the outfield, he's worth a mention.
Hoerner has hit .279 over the last three seasons with the Cubs, and has a minuscule 12% strikeout rate in his career. Hoerner has two seasons remaining on a three-year/$35 million deal, so it's unclear if the Cubs would move him. Like with all these guys, it's worth turning the stone over.
USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported in June that the Phillies were "keeping an eye on" the Scranton native. Ultimately, the Diamondbacks — who won 89 games and were the first team out of the postseason in the NL — held onto him.
McCarthy posted a .904 OPS in July and an .864 OPS in August, but really struggled in September with a .521 OPS. He's someone worth circling back on, though, because he hit .285 with just a 15.8% strikeout rate this past season.
Given that he's 27 and won't even become arbitration eligible until 2026, the Diamondbacks may be inclined to hold onto McCarthy. Then again, the Snakes have Corbin Carroll, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Alek Thomas also on their MLB roster, so they might be consider McCarthy expendable for the right price.
Nootbaar has had trouble staying on the field during his four seasons with the Cardinals, with the most games he's played in a season being 117 in 2023. He was limited to 109 games this past season, with injured-list stints for a left rib contusion and an oblique strain.
Still, Nootbaar slashed .261/.367/.418 with 14 home runs, 46 RBIs and 72 walks in 2023. His 20.1% career strikeout percentage is still relatively low. And he's proven capable of playing all three outfield positions.
Again, it's unclear exactly where the Cardinals would stand on Nootbaar, who is 27 and can't become a free agent until after the 2027 season. But like Donovan, he's worth making a call on.
