This probably isn't what Philadelphia Phillies fans want to hear.
The Philadelphia Phillies re-signed Kyle Schwarber during the MLB Winter Meetings, and now, all eyes are on Dave Dombrowski wondering what his next move will be.
The problem is that the Phillies may not have enough financial resources available.
Even before Philadelphia agreed to terms with Schwarber, the general consensus was that the Phillies wouldn't be able to retain the NL MVP runner-up and sign Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger in free agency. It was basically one or the other.
And now, Philadelphia's most recent trade rumor is confirming that may have been correct.
Ari Alexander of 7News Boston has reported that the Phillies are one of several teams that have expressed interest in Colorado Rockies outfielder Brenton Doyle, who won back-to-back Gold Glove awards in 2023 and 2024 and is under team control through 2029.
Doyle would be a nice addition as an extra outfielder, but you kind of get the feeling he would be the Phillies' primary outfield acquisition if they swing a trade for him.
The 27-year-old slashed just .233/.274/.376 with 15 home runs and 57 RBI in 2025, and his defense wasn't even close to what it was over his first two big-league seasons. His defensive decline was probably a bit of an outlier, but at the same time, his 23-homer campaign in 202 may have been, as well.
Doyle owns a lifetime .678 OPS, and the real kicker is that that number dips to .572 away from Coors Field. Citizens Bank is a hitters park, but not to the extent of Coors, for obvious reasons.
Doyle is cheap and he is a good athlete, but is he really the answer for Philadelphia after being bounced from the NLDS in consecutive seasons?
The Phillies' interest in Doyle is an indication that they may not be in the running for Tucker or Bellinger. Either that, or they just view him as an auxiliary piece, but based on everything we heard prior to Philly re-signing Schwarber, the former seems more probable.
Considering that Philadelphia clearly needs to bring in some more pieces around Schwarber to compete with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2026, this is pretty discouraging news.
Of course, there is still plenty of time for the Phillies to reverse course this winter, but there is no doubt that is fairly disheartening.