Philles Unsurprisingly Seen as Landing Spot for Cubs Outfielders in Free Agency

Will the Philadelphia Phillies look to add an outfielder from the Chicago Cubs?

May 16, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Phillies President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski in the dugout before the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Phillies at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Philadelphia Phillies are heading into an important offseason, and the direction the team elects to go in could have an impact on them for years to come. 

While the Phillies have been a fixture in the postseason the last five years, the franchise has been unable to return to the World Series following an appearance in 2022. 

Expectations have been high for Philadelphia every year since, and they have spent a lot of money to put a good product on the field. Unfortunately, in 2026, this was a very flawed team and one that they weren’t able to fix during the year. 

Now, as the team prepares for the offseason, how they will look to make some upgrades will be interesting to watch. The Phillies have a lot of money already on the books for next season, and getting a bit younger is also going to be a goal for the team. However, if they do look to spend once again, there will be options.

Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report recently wrote about some teams that make sense as good landing spots for Chicago Cubs outfielders Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ. With a desperate need to improve their offensive production in the outfield, the Phillies certainly make sense. 

Phillies Unsurprisingly Seen as Landing Spot for Cubs Outfielders 

Sep 25, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chicago Cubs left fielder Ian Happ (8) catches a fly ball hit by Boston Red Sox shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa (2) (not pictured) during the seventh inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At the trade deadline, Philadelphia attempted to strengthen their offense with the addition of All-Star second baseman Luis Arraez. While he wasn’t a perfect positional fit, Bryce Harper was willing to move into the outfield for the remainder of the season to help make it work. 

Unfortunately, Arraez didn’t produce at the same level that he did with the San Francisco Giants, and the move didn’t end up moving the needle like they would have hoped. 

Furthermore, a late injury kept him out of the postseason, which didn’t help matters for the Phillies in their loss to the Atlanta Braves. 

With Arraez being a free agent and Harper moving back to third base, there is once again a major need in the outfield for the Phillies. However, with a payroll as of now that is expected to be quite high, it will be interesting to see whether or not they are going to be willing to spend on players like Suzuki or Happ. 

Both of these sluggers would help quite a bit, but the cost will be the concern for Philadelphia. However, it is no secret that they need some offensive help, and either Happ or Suzuki would be good additions.