With the news that Bryce Harper is set to have surgery, it’s all but inevitable that he is not ready for the start of the season. The Phillies plan to be aggressive this offseason, so an OF addition could certainly be on the table. Knowing this, I have compiled a list of 10 interesting OF targets that the Phillies could land and should help the team.
Tyler Naquin
Naquin, long an injury-plagued CF with Cleveland has in the years since his first free agent stint become a solid OF4 and at times has played well enough to start. He excelled on a Minors deal with the Reds in 2020 and then took a step back in 2022, but he has a career OPS+ of 100 and has averaged 18 home runs per 162 games in his career. Coming off a poor season, he could be had for relatively cheap and should be willing to sign even knowing he’s likely just keeping RF warm for Harper.
Corey Dickerson
A slightly more reliable career hitter than Naquin but one having seen a recent downturn in production, Dickerson otherwise is quite similar to Naquin. He plays more LF than RF, but could likely play either here and could be more interesting to the Phillies given they have rostered him in the past and he is less injury-prone.
Kevin Kiermaier
A player of speculative interest to the Phillies in the past, Kiermaier’s bat and defense have fallen off in recent seasons, but his ability to play CF could make him somewhat desirable in this free agent market. With Brandon Marsh and Matt Vierling not being the best defensive CF, Kiermaier could move one to RF or LF, or perhaps move himself.
Adam Frazier
A contact-oriented utility-type that is coming off a rough season, Frazier could be a great buy-low addition for the Phillies with the upside as a decent starter and a floor of a passable utilityman. He can play RF, LF, and even dabbled in center last season.
Wil Myers
A bit more of a creative option, Myers should cost more than most of this list and could have a decent market, but if he has to settle for a one-year deal he could see a club with a more hitter-friendly park compared to Petco as appealing. Myers has expansive recent experience at RF, 1B, and LF, and could even draw in at 3B sometimes.
Michael Conforto
Conforto is coming off a year out of the league [while injured] and a down 2021, but he could still have a solid market as a higher-upside OF option. Speculatively a RF if he joined the Phillies, he’s also played CF in the past.
Domingo Santana
Santana, a former Phillies prospect and seven-year MLB veteran has played the last two seasons in the NPB. He’s been one of the league’s best hitters since signing with Yakult, slashing .285/.362/.524 with 34 home runs over 176 games. Already proven as a strong MLB hitter and league-average as recently as his last full MLB season in 2019, Santana could be a clever addition to the Phillies OF mix. I am not sure he’s a free agent this season, granted, but I have seen nothing to prove otherwise.
A.J. Pollock
Another CF that could see their market expanded with a weak CF pool this offseason and one who may wish for a guaranteed spot starting all season. Pollock’s injury issues, age, and rough 2022 could work against him, meaning the Phillies could get him at a cheaper price depending on how the OF market goes this offseason.
Zach Reks
A more creative option who could cost just a MiLB deal to get, Reks has a stellar Minors track record but hasn’t gotten a real MLB look. A 1.000 OPS player in the PCL this season, Reks smashed a robust .330/.410/.495 in the KBO after Texas released him last season. He’s not a guy to bank on next year, but he could be a cheap addition that pays dividends next season.
Adam Brett Walker II
Walker’s another MiLB deal candidate that’s a great story. A stellar Twins prospect circa the mid-2010s, the hulking slugger was on the cusp of the Majors following the 2016 season but thereafter his production tanked. Out of the affiliated ranks before the end of the 2018 season, Walker toiled in the American Association for three full seasons from 2019-2021, improving year to year and winning league MVP honors in both 2020 and 2021. In 2021 in specific he was on another level, slashing .320/.369/.636 while averaging over a RBI per game. He was impressive again for Yomiuri in 2022, slashing .271/.306/.515 and earning a league All-Star nod. Walker does not have any MLB service time, meaning that he could be a trade asset if he shows he can translate his power to the MLB level.
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