The Philadelphia Phillies have been connected to a major trade to fix a prominent issue before the 2026 MLB season.
The Philadelphia Phillies' outfield has been a source of contention all offseason, as they allowed Harrison Bader to walk and only signed Adolis Garcia as an answer.
Garcia could actually end up being a great bang-for-your-buck addition for the Phillies, but it's equally — if not more — likely that he registers a sub-.700 OPS like he did each of the past two seasons.
Philadelphia is currently employing an outfield that consists of Brandon Marsh, rookie Justin Crawford and Garcia, so there are obviously reasons for concern.
But could the Phillies swing a big move to address the problem before the 2026 MLB campaign actually begins?
Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer has pitched a trade proposal in which Philadelphia would send Crawford as well as prospects Aroon Escobar and Gage Wood to the Minnesota Twins in exchange for Byron Buxton.
"This is partially about the stubborn weakness the Phillies have had in center field, but more about them properly going all-in to get past the Los Angeles Dodgers to make it back to the World Series," Rymer wrote.
That would be one heck of a price for Philadelphia to pay.
Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton. Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.Crawford and Wood are both top-four prospects within the Phillies' system, and Escobar is ranked sixth.
That's pretty steep for a player in Buxton who has been a major chunk of his career on the injured list.
Yes, the 32-year-old played in 126 games last season, slashing .264/.327/.551 with 35 home runs and 83 RBI (he also stole 24 bases without getting caught), but since entering the big leagues in 2015, he has only appeared in 100 contests three times.
Between 2018 and 2023, Buxton topped out at 92 games, and his career high is 140, which he achieved back in 2017.
When healthy, there is no doubt Buxton is a good player. But that's just the question: will he actually be able to stay on the field? History says otherwise.
And while Buxton has always been an elite defender in center field, it should be noted that the former No. 2 overall pick showed a noticeable decline in that department in 2025, posting minus-5 DRS.
But given how desperate the Phillies are, perhaps this is a move they should consider.
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