It’s no secret the Philadelphia Phillies desperately need a right-handed outfield bat that they failed to acquire in the offseason.
It’s no secret the Philadelphia Phillies desperately need a right-handed outfield bat that they failed to acquire in the offseason. But the signs are pointing to the front office settling for an internal solution rather than making a trade by the July 31 deadline.
According to The Athletic’s Phillies reporter Charlotte Varnes, the team’s “outfield shakeup” could be by promoting top prospect Justin Crawford — a left-handed hitter — to take over center field. If that happens, Brandon Marsh or Max Kepler could be on the move.
“Bigger changes could be on the horizon. Among the potential solutions: trading Kepler or center fielder Brandon Marsh, both of whom have generated inquiries, major-league sources told The Athletic. Their value would be low, but at least Marsh has two-plus years of remaining team control,” reports Varnes.
The Phillies’ signing of Kepler was a head-scratcher during the offseason as he is a left-handed hitter who hit just eight home runs with a .682 OPS in his final season with the Minnesota Twins. He hasn’t provided much offensive firepower this year, slashing just .210/.307/.371 with an 86 OPS+ and 10 homers. Kepler also has complained publicly that he was misled by the Phillies in the offseason, saying he was told he was going to be the everyday left fielder but has been used more as a platoon player.
As for Marsh, he had a terrible start to the season, going 0-for-29 in the month of April before suffering a hamstring injury. He’s played much better since returning May 3, posting a .303/.364/.419 slash line. However, Marsh is still struggling against southpaws, hitting .225 with a .619 OPS in 48 plate appearances. He hasn’t turned into the everyday center fielder the Phillies were hoping for when they acquired him from the Los Angeles Angels for catcher Logan O’Hoppe in 2022.
If the Phillies do bring up Crawford, the team’s No. 3 prospect and baseball’s 47th overall, they hope he can offer a boost to a middling lineup. He’s hitting .331 with an .839 OPS in 73 Triple-A games this season, but he struggles to put the ball in the air. Crawford has just two home runs this year and 14 overall in four minor league seasons.
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