The Phillies finalized their one-year deal with free agent outfielder Adolis Garcia, and that’s likely to be their only notable addition in the outfield this winter, it seems. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski tells the team’s beat that the outfield is “pretty well set” (via Scott Lauber of the Philadelphia Inquirer). Garcia is expected to play right field regularly. Brandon Marsh will be in left field versus right-handed pitching. Most notably, top prospect Justin Crawford will be given a chance to take the center field job and run with it.
“If you’re going to give Crawford an opportunity, you’ve got to give it to him, and that’s where we are,” said Dombrowski. “We’re going to give him an opportunity and have him play a lot.”
Crawford, 22 next month, was Philadelphia’s first-round pick (17th overall) in 2022. He’s considered to be among the game’s top 100 prospects at both MLB.com (No. 54) and Baseball America (No. 83). There was talk of a potential midsummer promotion this past season, but Philadelphia’s acquisition of Harrison Bader (now a free agent) presumably contributed to the decision to leave Crawford in the minors, where he thrived with the Phillies’ top affiliate. Based on today’s comments from Dombrowski, a reunion with Bader seems unlikely.
Crawford has minimal power but plus speed that could make him a rangy, quality defender in center. He also upped his walk rate to a career-high 11.5% in 2025, nearly doubling his rate from 2024, while hitting .334/.411/.452 with seven homers and 46 steals (in 57 tries) at the Triple-A level this past season. Crawford struck out in 18% of his plate appearances and made the most of his wheels, putting nearly 60% of his batted balls on the ground.
If nothing else, a Marsh-Crawford-Garcia trio should have a strong floor as a defensive trio. Marsh has plus grades in left field throughout his career (19 Defensive Runs Saved, 9 Outs Above Average in 1751 innings), Crawford can fly (though some scouting reports suggest he needs further work on his reads and jumps), and Garcia has been an above-average to plus right fielder every season except 2024 (when he’d suffered a strained patellar tendon in the final weeks of the preceding season). For a club that spent much of last year trotting Marsh out in center field, where he’s miscast, and gave a team-leading 1208 outfield innings to Nick Castellanos, the defensive upgrade should be immense.
As for Castellanos, it seems increasingly clear that his Phillies tenure has come to an end. He’s owed $20MM next season, the last of a five-year, $100MM contract that hasn’t gone as the team hoped. Castellanos hasn’t hit like he did in Chicago and Cincinnati prior to signing with the Phils, and his long-maligned glovework has only worsened. The Phillies have been trying to offload a portion of his contract — no one is taking more than a small fraction of it — without success. It’s expected that he’ll be released if no trade comes to fruition.
The Philadelphia outfield isn’t so much remade as it is reshuffled, and it bears emphasizing that there are still concerns on the offensive side of the coin. Crawford has yet to take a major league plate appearance. Garcia was a star-caliber hitter with the 2021-23 Rangers, keying their 2023 World Series victory in many regards, but he’s seen a stark decline in performance over the past two seasons. Texas non-tendered him last month, and he’s a pure rebound play for the Phillies heading into the 2026 season.
Meanwhile, Marsh was productive overall in 2025 but is a career .213/.278/.303 hitter versus fellow lefties. He’ll need a platoon partner, clearly. In-house options include Edmundo Sosa, Weston Wilson, Otto Kemp, Johan Rojas and waiver claim Pedro Leon.
Neither Wilson nor Rojas hit lefties well in 2025. Leon has an uneven track record against southpaws in the minors but hit them well in 2024 before barely playing in 2025 due to injury. He’s a 27-year-old with only 21 MLB plate appearances, however. Sosa crushed lefties last year, but the Phils only put him in the outfield for a total of 11 innings. He’s primarily an infielder. Kemp popped four homers in 74 plate appearances versus lefties but also fanned at a 35.1% clip in those matchups. Like Sosa, he spent the bulk of his time in the infield, too.
The Phillies could look to address that platoon bat for Marsh with any number of those in-house options, but despite Dombrowski’s statement today, it also wouldn’t be a huge shock to see them keep an eye on the periphery of the free agent market for righty-swinging outfielders. There aren’t a ton of options out there, but names like Randal Grichuk, Austin Slater and Chas McCormick could all potentially help out. The trade and waiver markets will be worth monitoring as well.
That’ll all take a backseat to one other critical area, however. Dombrowski noted today that catching is “really our main focus” (also via Lauber) and reiterated a desire to re-sign J.T. Realmuto. The Phillies reportedly have an offer out to Realmuto’s camp. A reunion is generally expected, but if he signs elsewhere the Phils would be left looking, with Rafael Marchan and Garrett Stubbs atop the depth chart. Danny Jansen is already off the board on a two-year deal with Texas, leaving Victor Caratini as the top non-Realmuto option in free agency.
Well… I guys no more Jake Meyers to the Phillies.
Or Luis Robert Jr….for now.
🙏
Cue up John Fogerty.
Yuck. That group is straight traaaaash
Rubbish, refuse, garbage etc.
Garcia is one of the best fielding RFers in the league. Crawford has elite speed. Marsh is a solid fielder. Offensively, their bats leave a lot to be desired, but the Phillies went from literally the worst fielding RFer in the league to a top defender.
True, but you also don’t want to sacrifice too much offense to improve your defense. If Crawford becomes a good contact hitter at the MLB level, that’s fine even without power, but Marsh and Garcia could become significant issues of the opposite kind if they can’t hit enough.
The 2026 hitting outfield may not be great, but last year the Phillies started with Kepler, Castellanos, and a Marsh/Rojas platoon in center. Kepler had a bad first half and Castellanos stunk all year. Compared to the April 2025 outfield, 2026 is better hitting-wise and light years better in the field.
There is a big difference between not having power and having a 60% ground ball rate. There is no chance in hell of hitting .334 in the majors with that many ground balls.
It’s essentially a similar offensive OF to last year, but a much improved defensive one.
Let’s say he hits .270, steals 30 bags, hits ninth, plays above average center field.
There have been a boatload of excellent traditional leadoff hitters with Crawford’s offensive skill set including many who have busts in Cooperstown. I’m old enough to remember when players like Crawford were fined in the Kangaroo Court every time they hit the ball in the air. Just saying.
You can’t but every position. Crawford will make $800,000. And I presume you know the difference between BA and OBP, but just wanted to miscast what I said.
Hard not to be excited about an OBP in the .270’s
Hader said no to a $2 mil pay cut. Who can blame him?
Another year of the same failed lineup.
I am underwhelmed
I agree with u as a whole however I’m excited to see what Crawford brings. Think he should have been up last year. I mean this FO gave Rojas plenty of chances and he sucked at the plate
Rojas was brought up well before he was done cooking due to need at that time. He always had the speed and the defensive potential, but it was only the first half plus season at Reading that he looked as if the bat might have enough to even get much of a look – and then they needed him and called him up where he had some early success. The bat was always going to be his primary concern.
Crawford has, despite the question marks about the swing and ground ball rate, done nothing but hit. That doesn’t mean that he will make it, but it certainly makes him have far more potential to make the jump and the adjustments required and I am excited to see how he does up here.
I have not given up on Rojas either; as he gets stronger and more experienced he could still be a solid 4th OF, backup CF type with a decent run in the majors with a little luck.
1st round playoff exit.
They will sign someone as a platoon bat at the least. If they get someone who can play a little center they will have some insurance.
They already have the platoon bats internally.
That crop looks a bit thin.
Andujar.
I’ve been screaming for years that Sosa needs more at bats. I think him and Otto Kemp can platoon left with Marsh. Those are 2 guys with pop and a good glove that won’t get everyday playing with the infield of Stott, Turner, Bohm.
linked wrong Pedro Leon
I actually forgot Justin Crawford went to highschool in Las Vegas. His high school Bishop Gorman was one of my high schools biggest rival’s. Also the same HS that Tommy Pham went to.
Is Justin Crawford part of any fantasy league? Just in case he runs into Tommy Pham.
No idea. Pham I believe is still a free agent. Maybe he goes to an NL East team this year. Chaos could ensue
Who do the Phillies have as DH options? Since they’d still have to pay him if they release him, you’d think Castellanos would provide some value at DH and as a pinch-hitter against lefties if nothing else.
@lanidrac – Ummm some guy named Schwarber.
OK, that explains it.
Some dude named Kyle could probably DH a little bit
Grichuck or McCormick could be had relatively cheap and be able to fill all 3 Outfield spots off the bench. The starting OF may be set but i would expect a bench addition. Eventually though they need to deal with the elephant in the room and realize they have no chance of trading Castellanos
Though I live in the west I had to the chance to see Justin Crawford play last summer and he looks dynamic. Would think he’ll grow into some power eventually.
I am okay with this, and DD usually tells it like it is. Sure – this is not that exciting on the surface, but there are a lot of outfields out there that are not all that.
I like the fact that they held on to Crawford, and that now they are going to give him the opportunity to play. This is hard to do for a winning team, as the default measure is to bring in the veterans. Sure, Bader was great for two months but he probably won’t be for the next two or three years.
I am also sure that a part of it is that they explored trades and found them to be too expensive for too little return, and that the options out there are not all that great anyway.
Bader to Mets in 3 … 2 … 1
The Mets couldn’t stand him. He’ll sign someplace within a week if the Phillies don’t open their eyes, but I highly doubt it’ll be in New York.
How much money would the Phillies have to eat on Castellanos deal before Pittsburgh or KC say yes to a trade?
$19.5 million. He’ll likely sign for minimum with Miami or just sit the year out.
All of it minus the $780 K minimum should he sign a minors deal somewhere and make the team. Phils just have little leverage here and why would any team trade for him when they can just wait and sign him after the release.
At best some team wants him enough to trade a low level marginal prospect and pays maybe 1 mil to jump the line?
At least 2/3rds.
You’re the only one with a reasonable take. It is wild that people don’t see there is value, even as a DH for a few million. Maybe 2, Maybe 4, Maybe 6, but there is some level of value in having him as an OF depth + DH option on their team.
Rojas has to be out of the future plans at this point, right?
And I know they keep trying to throw Wilson and Kemp out in left because they are righties but neither can move like a fielder.
I also don’t think they want Harper playing like a mad man in the field either with his giant contract and his injuries.
They need to find somebody else.
Still would be nice to go after Refsnyder but looks like Middleton has hit the limit of spending until clear out Bohm, Nick, and Taijuan salaries next year.
Every single guy in the outfield is an “IF”. Brandon marsh cannot hit left-handed pitching. Justin Crawford is a rookie. Garcia hasn’t had a good years since 2023. I’m hoping that Dombrowski is just posturing to bring down Harrison Baders contract demands. Or maybe they trade Brandon for a good reliever. But if Dombrowski thinks this is a World Series type outfield, the game has passed him by.
An “IF” offensively. This are toutfielder. defensive corner outfielders. Plus they have Rojas. So the OF defense should be great. I’d like another bat, but we’ll see.
I don’t think DD minds being underestimated. There’s still plenty of off-season to build a 26-man roster.
Just play Marsh every day because his “platoon partners” have f’ing sucked. He has generally hit LHP better than they have.
Thomson loves those platoons. His computer says so.
As a Phillies fan I feel like they’re wasting a great opportunity to win a WS. They’re an outfield away from having an amazing chance.