Rebuilding the Phillies outfield is priority No. 1 in Vegas at the GM Meetings

The Phillies are in Las Vegas for the GM Meetings, and while bringing back Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto is sitting right at the top of the to-do list, it is very clear this team needs much more than reunion deals if the goal is a World Series parade down Broad Street.

The most glaring issue is obviously the outfield. That has to be fixed. Full stop.

The outfield production has been brutal for two straight seasons.

Phillies outfielders posted a .710 OPS in 2025 and a .708 OPS in 2024. The 2025 unit was supposed to be stabilized by Nick Castellanos and Max Kepler. Instead, they both struggled so badly that the Phillies ended the season platooning them in right field.

Castellanos hit .694 OPS and Kepler hit .691 OPS. Neither is expected to return.

Castellanos’ situation should come to a resolution soon.

The Phillies tried to move him each of the last two winters. This time, with one year left on his five-year, $100 million deal and an ugly 2025 season that included multiple clashes with Rob Thomson, the writing is on the wall.

He finished last out of 145 qualified players in fWAR and bWAR. His defense was also a disaster with -32 outs above average in four seasons.

The current state of the Phillies outfield

When Nick Castellanos inevitably moves on, the Phillies are left with Brandon Marsh, Johan Rojas, and Weston Wilson. The list does not include Otto Kemp, who barely played in left field last season, and it does not include Justin Crawford, although it’s almost set in stone that he will get every chance to make the Opening Day roster.

It also does not include Bryce Harper, who said multiple times he would return to the outfield if the Phillies added a major middle-of-the-order bat to take over first base, something Dombrowski shut down as unlikely last month.

And it does not include free agents Harrison Bader or Schwarber, who both finished 2025 in the outfield at various points. Regardless, the current true outfields is no where close to a playoff-caliber group and barely even passes as Major League Baseball talent.

The Rebuild….

There are several ways the Phillies can approach the problem. They could re-sign Bader, who brings defense and a right-handed bat.

Justin Crawford could make the roster and split time with Marsh. They could try to land an impact free agent like Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger, although those moves feel unlikely unless Schwarber walks.

More realistic is the platoon route, with complementary free agents such as Rob Refsnyder or Austin Hays, though those names do not move the needle.

On The Market

The trade market is where things get interesting. Byron Buxton could waive his no-trade clause if he finally wants out of Minnesota. Boston has an outfield surplus and could make Jarren Duran available. Cleveland told the Phillies no in July when they asked for Steven Kwan, but the door may not be fully shut.

Warning: I’m going to start campaigning for a Mike Trout trade in the very near future. Currently flushing out trade rumors surrounding Fernando Tatis Jr and will report back on that too.

The Clock Is Ticking

Dombrowski knows this roster cannot roll into 2026 with the same outfield issues that dragged it down the last two seasons. The Phillies need real production, real athleticism, real defense, and at least one consistent every-night player in the outfield.

Las Vegas is where the groundwork starts, and by the end of the week, we should have a clearer picture of how aggressive the Phillies plan to be.

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