The Position the Phillies Must Address for This Offseason to Be a Success

The Philadelphia Phillies need to prioritize upgrading this position on the roster.

May 1, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations David Dombrowski watching batting practice before the game against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There are a lot of items on the to-do list for the Philadelphia Phillies this offseason, with finding a new manager being the No. 1 priority.

Once that is set, it will be time to evaluate and build back up an aging roster that needs help. Some people will point to the bullpen as the most pressing need, and a strong argument can be made in that regard.

In 2026, just like years past, the bullpen was unable to hold leads late in games. Getting the ball to their closer, Jhoan Duran, proved difficult. Things were so dire that rookie Alex McFarlane became the second most trusted relief pitcher for interim manager Don Mattingly.

Finding relief help is near the top of the list, but the position the Phillies must address this offseason to be a success is the outfield. This has been a troublesome spot for the team in recent years, and they need to find an everyday answer in the grass.

Phillies need to fix outfield this offseason

May 12, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Philadelphia Phillies left fielder Brandon Marsh (16) is congratulated by center fielder Justin Crawford (2) after scoring against the Boston Red Sox in the second inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Help could already be on the roster, and no, not Bryce Harper. Asking him to patrol the outfield on a near full-time basis as he did down the stretch in 2026 is unrealistic. Trea Turner could be moved to the outfield with his performance at shortstop being so underwhelming this season.

He was tied for the second-worst mark in the MLB with -17 Defensive Runs Saved. Switching positions is certainly on the table for him.

Other than Turner, there aren’t many in-house options. Will the team bring back Derek Hill, who is set to hit arbitration? He proved to be a useful platoon option as a right-handed hitter and stellar defender across the outfield.

Retaining him for an affordable price would make sense. But the team could really use another everyday option, and that could come in the form of a free agent. The Phillies have tried going the one-year prove-it route recently with Max Kepler and Adolis Garcia to underwhelming results.

Free agency has a few outfield options for Phillies

Sep 27, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; left fielder Randy Arozarena (56) takes a swing during an at-bat against the Los Angeles Angels at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With some money coming off the books this winter, making a more aggressive commitment to a right-handed outfielder would make sense. Seiya Suzuki is someone they should strongly consider. Philadelphia was reportedly interested in him ahead of the trade deadline, and now that he is set to hit free agency, they should pursue him once again.

Randy Arozarena would be another great option in free agency. He led the American League with 113 runs scored this past season and offers a nice combination of power and speed, recording 20/20 seasons in six straight years with three All-Star appearances.

Something has to be done with this group; it has been too many years without an everyday fix being acquired. Adding Suzuki or Arozarena to Justin Crawford, Brandon Marsh, Turner and Hill would give the Phillies a strong outfield group to count on, with Kyle Schwarber and Harper being mixed in periodically when need be.