Phillies Could Swipe Perfect Outfield Solution From NL East Rival

The Philadelphia Phillies' outfield was a major source of concern this past season, and heading into the winter, it is one of the primary areas the team must improve.

The group of Brandon Marsh, Justin Crawford, Bryan De La Cruz and Derek Hill simply isn't cutting it, and Dave Dombrowski knows it.

So, what can the Phillies do to solve the problem?

Well, Philadelphia could absolutely land a big bat like Seiya Suzuki or Randy Arozarena in free agency, and it certainly should try and acquire one of them. Then there's Randal Grichuk, who at least represents a terrific option against left-handers.

Ian Happ will be available too, but that's an avenue the Phillies should probably avoid.

Where else can they turn?

Well, one potential solution resides in the NL East: Washington Nationals center fielder Jacob Young.

Philadelphia trotted out Crawford as its starter in 2026, and while the rookie certainly showed flashes, he has some clear deficiencies.

Yes, the youngster batted .307 in June and .306 in August, but he hit just .264 with a .662 OPS on the season as a whole, and he had two months with a sub-.600 OPS.

Additionally, Crawford did not utilize his speed as much as you would hope, as he stole just 17 bases in 21 attempts.

Moreover, Crawford wasn't great defensively, posting minus-8 defensive runs saved and minus-2 outs above average. His fielding run value was also a minus-2.

Young's offensive numbers aren't a whole lot better. He slashed .252/.318/.390 this past season, but he did have 10 home runs to Crawford's three, and he he managed to bat .282 with a .776 OPS against lefties.

But the real difference is defense, where Young recorded 11 outs above average and a fielding run value of nine. He has historically been an elite defender in center field, so bringing him in to serve as an alternate option alongside of Crawford would be interesting.

Crawford slashed only .233/.303/.300 versus southpaws this past year, so Young could serve as a platoon solution. He's also under team control through 2029, so if Crawford doesn't work out, the Phillies may have another long-term answer in center field.

The Nationals obviously wouldn't just give Young away, especially to a division rival. But there is no harm in Philadelphia placing a phone call to the nation's capital and seeing if a deal could potentially be made.

Young shouldn't be the Phillies' only target, but he would definitely make sense as a candidate.