Philadelphia Phillies Slugging Outfield Target Now Open to Short-Term Deal

The Philadelphia Phillies could land the ideal outfielder on what would be a short-term contract.
Sep 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander (25) fields San Francisco Giants outfielder Grant McCray (58) fourth inning single at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Sep 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles outfielder Anthony Santander (25) fields San Francisco Giants outfielder Grant McCray (58) fourth inning single at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images
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After landing Max Kepler, it's tough to say the Philadelphia Phillies have done everything possible to improve the outfield this winter. Kepler is a decent piece, and if he stays on the field, he could even be a steal of a signing.

However, he isn't a perfect player, and at best, will be a marginal upgrade to the Phillies' outfield problems.

Adding another outfielder might not be part of Philadelphia's plans. As currently constructed, it's still the area with the most to improve, but if the Phillies don't want to spend much to upgrade the position, it'll be tough to find the perfect addition.

A recent report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic might be all Philadelphia needs to add to its outfield. According to Rosenthal, Anthony Santander is willing to take a short-term deal.

One other player — pitcher Jack Flaherty — is open that sort of deal as well. But, the Phillies would appear to have appropriate coverage in their starting rotation and don't need to add there.

Outfield is a different story. The position hasn't been as productive as it has been in recent years. Some of that is due to moving Bryce Harper to first but. Some of it is declining production from veterans like Nick Castellanos.

Foru free-agents used this strategy after finding a rather tepid free-agent market an offseason ago. Two of them — pitcher Blake Snell and third baseman Matt Chapman — parlayed their short-term contracts, with opt-outs, into long-term contract that will set them up for the rest of their careers.

Santander is finding it difficult to locate that long-term deal he wants, so the short-term, AAV route may be a wise pivot.

As Rosenthal reported, Santander taking a short-term deal wouldn't mean he could be had for $10 million AAV. If the switch-hitting outfielder doesn't get the long-term deal he's looking for, he could still more than likely land around $20 to $25 million.

AAV is often more important than the full contract. For the Phillies, it's uncertain how they'd feel about that, but there's reason to believe it could help them.

Having short-term money on the books would add to an already expensive payroll. However, if Santander didn't work out as expected, Philadelphia wouldn't have him on a five-year deal and be stuck with his money.

With massive power in his bat, Santander would help. Being a below-average defender makes the fit more questionable than others, but given who's currently on the market, the Phillies shouldn't expect to find much better.


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Jon Conahan
JON CONAHAN

Jon Conahan has been covering all major sports since 2019. He is a 2022 graduate of the Bellisario School of Journalism at Penn State University and previously played D1 baseball.