Philadelphia Phillies Linked to Move for Questionable Cubs Star

The Philadelphia Phillies are back home after yet another early playoff exit, and they certainly have some soul searching to do.

It's clear that the Phillies cannot run it back with this same roster. They were eliminated even sooner this year than they were in 2025, so changes must be made.

Philadelphia obviously needs an outfielder. It tried to patch the hole with bubble gum and duct tape last winter when it signed Adolis Garcia, who had been nontendered by the Texas Rangers. We saw how that worked out.

This time around, the Phillies need to take things more seriously, and Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly has identified one potential target for them in that regard: Ian Happ.

Happ has spent the first decade of his big-league career with the Chicago Cubs. This past season, he slashed .218/.326/.412 with 24 home runs and 68 RBI over 636 plate appearances. That isn't great, but it's an upgrade.

The real selling point of Happ, of course, is his defense, as he has won four straight Gold Gloves. He might win another one this year as well after posting 10 defensive runs saved and a plus-6 FRV.

But can Philadelphia afford to hand out another lucrative contract to an aging player based largely on his fielding prowess?

Happ can hit, owning a lifetime .783 OPS. But his OPS has been below that number in each of the last three seasons, reaching a career-low .738 in 2026. Is it possible that the 32-year-old is declining?

And while batting average is generally obsolete, .218 is ugly no matter how you spin it, particularly when you are posting a .194 ISO. That's solid, but not enough when you aren't putting the bat on the ball enough.

For reference, Kyle Schwarber batted .232 in 2026, but his ISO was .270. In that was in a year where Schwarber had a rough second half.

The Phillies need more consistent power hitters in their lineup. Happ has pop, having bashed over 20 homers four seasons in a row. But he has topped out at 25, which is good; not great. Especially not for what he is about to get paid.

Moreover, Philadelphia probably needs to get younger, so I'm not too sure that adding a 32-year-old — who may be on a downturn — is the best idea.

The problem? This upcoming free-agent pool isn't very deep, so the Phillies might have no choice but to settle.

It could be a rough offseason in Philadelphia.