The Philadelphia Phillies entered the offseason with questions about what they planned to do on both sides of the baseball, and a lot of those haven't been answered throughout the winter. Unfortunately, all the Phillies have really done is bring back Kyle Schwarber, as they've missed out on some very good players they've been linked to throughout the past few months.
For a team built to win now, doing as little as they have isn't going to put them in a position to win.
With the Mets stealing Bo Bichette from right under their nose, Philadelphia now faces a situation where it has to go out and add a good player.
According to Josh Davis of ClutchPoints, the answer is Cody Bellinger, and he’s a player the Phillies can’t avoid.
“That reality points to one clear move the Phillies must now make—they need to sign Cody Bellinger. It’s no longer a luxury, it’s a structural necessity. Given the Mets' emphasis on elite contact and lineup depth, the Phillies need to counter with a player capable of making a significant impact on games from both sides of the field.
“Bellinger addresses multiple issues at once. Defensively, he restores order. Sliding him into center field allows Brandon Marsh to return to his optimal corner outfield role, creating a more efficient alignment. Offensively, Bellinger brings left-handed power that lengthens the lineup behind Bryce Harper and helps offset the production lost when Bichette signed with New York,” he wrote.
Philadelphia’s outfield Situation has been among the worst in baseball over the past few years, although it did add Adolis Garcia. Bellinger’s ability to improve the outfield would immediately answer questions. His ability to impact games both with power and defense would give the Phillies a different look than they’ve had.
Of course, the financial situation is one to watch out for. Any long-term deal comes with risk, particularly for a player whose production has been up and down.
The one issue there is that the Phillies aren’t necessarily in a position to sit around and wait. If anything, this championship window is closing, and if they don't win it all over the next few years, they likely won't for a very long time.