It hasn’t been the offseason Philadelphia Phillies fans were expecting.
Fans were hoping the Phillies would make a big move to improve an offense that once again cratered in the playoffs, as the team only scored 12 runs — including seven in one game — against the New York Mets in a four-game NLDS loss. However, the Phillies sat out the Juan Soto sweepstakes, power-hitting outfielder Teoscar Hernandez re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and it appears they won’t make a play for All-Stars Anthony Santander or Alex Bregman.
The Phillies also reportedly made third baseman Alec Bohm and right fielder Nick Castellanos available in trades, to no avail.
They did sign an outfielder, though — left-handed hitter Max Kepler, who slashed just .253/.302/.380, with a below-average 91 OPS+ (indicating he was nine percent worse than the league-average hitter), and a paltry eight home runs in 105 games in 2024.
It’s not what Phillies fans were hoping for. Instead, the Phillies are banking on their offensive stars like Bryce Harper, Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto to lead them back to the playoffs and their first World Series championship since 2008.
However, with spring training still over a month away, one team insider believes this free agent would be a “perfect fit” for the Phillies.
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MLB insider says 10-year veteran would be great signing for Philadelphia Phillies
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski recently told reporters that he would be “surprised” if the team signed any “impactful-type” of offensive bats.
“I don’t want to say it’s a tight payroll. From an ownership perspective, I don’t think I’ve ever gone to [owner] John [Middleton] on anything and him say, ‘No, don’t do something.’ But you still try to keep things in perspective. We’re over $300 million in the threshold. Everybody we sign is a major penalty at this point. So you’re cognizant of that,” Dombrowski stated.
The Phillies are projected to have the second-highest payroll in baseball in 2025 at an estimated $307.6 million, according to FanGraphs. Since the Phillies are above the highest tax threshold of $301 million, they must pay a 110% tax for every dollar overage.
Despite the payroll constraints, MLB.com insider Todd Zolecki believes one free-agent veteran would be a “perfect fit” for the Phillies.
“[M]aybe the Phillies take their chances on a veteran, right-handed-hitting corner outfielder. [Mark] Canha is somebody who might make sense,” Zolecki reports.
Last season, Canha, who also plays first base, slashed .242/.344/.346, with a 99 OPS+, and seven home runs across 125 games with the Detroit Tigers and San Francisco Giants. Over his ten-year career, Canha has hit 120 home runs, with a .763 OPS, and 113 OPS+.
The Phillies’ bench currently includes top reserve Edmundo Sosa, outfielder Johan Rojas, and backup catcher Garrett Stubbs. If the Phillies sign Canha, he could compete for a final bench spot with Weston Wilson, Buddy Kennedy, and Kody Clemens. Wilson still has an option remaining, while both Kennedy and Clemens don’t, meaning they can’t be sent down to the minors without first going through waivers.
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