The Final Piece of the Phillies’ Lineup Puzzle: Team Set to Land This One Player to Complete the Roster

The Philadelphia Phillies ended the 2024 MLB campaign in an incredibly disappointing fashion.

After working so hard throughout the regular season to win the National League East and earn a bye into the NLDS, they were eliminated in four games by their rivals, the New York Mets.

The early exit is certainly not what the franchise was expecting, as they had legitimate World Series aspirations. But, a few factors contributed to them being sent home early and starting their offseason preparations.

Looking to ensure that didn’t occur again, many thought that the Phillies would look to shake things up in a major way.

To this point, that blockbuster deal hasn’t come about, but it isn’t from a lack of try, as the team has been involved in plenty of trade rumors.

All-Star third baseman Alec Bohm, outfielder Nick Castellanos and starting pitcher Ranger Suarez were all names on the rumor mill.

Looking to improve the roster while slashing some salary is a difficult tightrope to walk. It left Philadelphia not going shopping at the top of the free agent market, as they signed three players, all to one-year deals.

Outfielder Max Kepler was signed for $10 million, with relief pitchers Jordan Romano and Joe Ross signing for $8.5 million and $4 million, respectively.

The team is taking a major risk with Kepler, as he is penciled in as their starting left fielder at this point. His inability to stay healthy and lack of experience at the position, he has never played it as a professional, make the current situation in the outfield among their biggest remaining question marks in the opinion of Jim Bowden of The Athletic.

“Is the outfield good enough on both sides of the ball to get them to the World Series?” he wrote.

On paper, it certainly doesn’t look like a group that will be strong enough to last the entire year without some changes being made.

Defensively, there could be some major problems. It is anyone’s guess how Kepler, who has been an above-average defender in right field, will handle flipping to the other corner outfield spot.

The team already knows that Castellanos is a major negative in right field, so flanking Brandon Marsh, the presumed starter in center field who is a better defender in the corners as well, with two defensive question marks is far from ideal.

Depth is also an issue, as the only projected backup outfielder on the roster right now, Johan Rojas, took a major step back with his production across the board in 2024 compared to his debut season in 2023.

The Phillies should be scouring the market for outfield help, as it is the only real question mark remaining for their lineup. If that player could handle center field duties, allowing Marsh to move back over to left field, it would be the perfect scenario.

Having Kepler and Castellanos as a platoon in right field would likely help keep the veteran free agent signing healthier not relying on him to play everyday. He could be a weapon off the bench as a lefty with power and as a defensive replacement late in games.

The perfect target for Philadelphia would be Luis Robert Jr. of the Chicago White Sox. Coming off a down year, he would thrive being inserted into such a talented lineup.

There are injury risks, but he is the exact kind of player the team should be taking a swing on given his upside and youth; he doesn’t turn 28 until August, giving the franchise another long-term building block to keep their championship window open.