Report: Phillies among teams who reached out to recently-DFA’d outfielder

The Phillies have reached out to Brett Phillips, who was DFA’d by the Tampa Bay Rays earlier today to clear a spot on the 40-man roster, according to Alex Coffey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Phillips, 28, has been in the league since 2017, and is a career .190/.276/.350 hitter. He hit .147/.225/.250 with the Rays this year, with an OPS of just .475, 5 HRs, and 14 RBIs in 75 games.
It’s now clear that the Phillies are looking for a defensive specialist in center, and that’s exactly what Phillips is. He’s played 42 games in centerfield this year for Tampa Bay and holds a .988 fielding percentage, with just one error on the year.
The Phillies have been mentioned as landing spots for multiple centerfielders, including Jackie Bradley Jr, Michael A Taylor, and the most recent, Brett Phillips. Acquiring Phillips wouldn’t cost you anything, as he would need to be claimed off waivers.
The team is still in the market for a starting pitcher, a centerfielder, and a reliever. Dave Dombrowski has already said that he doesn’t want to break up his minor-league core of arms, which is the smart move. With the guys that are remaining on the board, giving up Abel/Painter/McGarry won’t be necessary.