Phillies Wisely Seen As Potential Fit for Cubs Star Slugger in Free Agency

The Philadelphia Phillies are seen as a potential fit for a star slugger from the Chicago Cubs

May 26, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a Philadelphia Phillies hat and glove on the bench against the Atlanta Braves in the seventh inning at Truist Park. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

After sweeping the Seattle Mariners, the Philadelphia Phillies are riding high coming into their weekend series against the Washington Nationals. 

The Phillies have been playing well of late, and a weekend series against a team of the caliber of the Nationals should allow them to continue to create separation with the New York Mets in the National League East. 

Philadelphia has always been an aggressive team when it comes to trying to make upgrades for the team, but this offseason they missed on a lot of their significant moves. Aside from the trade that brought in Jesus Luzardo, the additions of Max Kepler and Jordan Romano didn't work well. 

This winter, the team will have some key players hitting free agency and it could result in some significant changes. Even though they didn't pursue any of the top free agents last winter, that could very well change in a couple of months. 

Mark Feinsand of MLB recently wrote about Chicago Cubs star Kyle Tucker being a potential fit for the Phillies in free agency. 

It has been a strong season for Philadelphia in 2025, but this has always felt like it was going to be a pivotal year for the franchise. With the core of the team getting a bit older, it feels like the 2025 is going to be World Series or bust. 

The Phillies got very aggressive at the trade deadline to acquire star closer Jhoan Duran to help fix their biggest issue. This was a clear indication that they are going for it this season and they are well-positioned to do so. 

Will Phillies Spend Big on Tucker?

Patrick Gorski-Imagn Images

However, with a couple of key free agents after this year, the team could look a lot different come 2026. One of the needs for the team figures to be in the outfield. Getting strong offensive production from this unit has been a challenge, and pursuing a player like Tucker would fix that quickly. 

Even though the slugger has struggled to play through a hand injury, he has been a fantastic player for many years now and is going to be the top prize in free agency. It will be interesting to see how much he gets, but being around the $500 million mark isn't out of the question. 

Whether or not Philadelphia would be willing to come up to a number like that remains to be seen. However, he could make a massive impact for the team if they decided to pull the trigger.