The Phillies still have one hole to fill in their roster
The Philadelphia Phillies made a big move for their bullpen on Saturday morning, acquiring lefty reliever Gregory Soto and INF Kody Clemens in exchange for Matt Vierling, Nick Maton, and Donny Sands.
Although it was tough to see Matty V and Nick Maton head out of Philadelphia, Dave Dombrowski fleeced the Detroit Tigers, acquiring a top-velocity lefty reliever in Soto to pair with Jose Alvarado, Seranthony Dominguez, and Craig Kimbrel.
With the loss of Matt Vierling, the Phillies now have a hole to fill in the outfield. Although Vierling wasn’t starting every day since the addition of Brandon Marsh, the Phillies don’t have a single right-handed bat off of their bench other than Dalton Guthrie, who has taken just 21 ABs in the Major Leagues.
There are a few names out on the market right now that could draw the eye of Dombrowski, who has proven that he’s ready to go all-in to win a championship. Andrew McCutchen is a cheap move that could make sense, as Cutch has held a .900+ OPS against lefties over the last three years of his career.
The Phillies need to go sign Adam Duvall.
Duvall, 34, is coming off a tough year in Atlanta, hitting just .213/.276/.401 in 86 games. The upside of Duvall’s game is his power, as the veteran hit 38 home runs in 2021 with the Marlins and Braves. Duvall has 163 HRs in his 9-year MLB career.
Adam Duvall is a proven hitter that can hit in big moments. He crushed an .804 OPS in the NLDS vs. Milwaukee in 2021, being a big part of the Braves’ World Series-winning roster.
Duvall was on a 1-year, $9.25M contract with the Braves, and his cost will certainly go down after a tough year, along with being one year closer to the end of his career. The Phillies have proven that they aren’t afraid to spend money after committing over $400M in free-agent money this offseason.
Duvall can play both corner outfield spots and has played 75 games in centerfield. The Phillies have their everyday centerfielder in Brandon Marsh, but the team will be down a man with Bryce Harper sidelined until at least mid-June. If the price is right, the Phillies need to jump all over this opportunity.
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