Here's what the Phillies’ outfield tells us about what's next

PHILADELPHIA -- It’s no secret that the Phillies’ outfield has routinely been the club’s biggest weakness over the past few seasons.

Sure, Nick Castellanos hasn’t lived up to the five-year, $100 million deal the club gave him in March 2022, but it goes well beyond that. Johan Rojas never seized the center-field job as Philadelphia hoped he would two years ago. Max Kepler didn’t have the bounceback season the Phils were hoping for last year. Brandon Marsh has had his ups and downs when given a chance to be an everyday player.

Then, there are all the other guys -- Cristian Pache, Jake Cave, Whit Merrifield, Austin Hays, David Dahl, etc. -- who have come and gone.

Another one of those guys is Harrison Bader, who provided a spark after he was acquired at the Trade Deadline last year. He hit .305 with an .824 OPS and accounted for 1.3 WAR in just 50 games. Though Bader wasn’t expected to return to Philadelphia, that door finally shut this week when he agreed to a two-year deal with the Giants, according to a report from MLB Network insider Jon Heyman.

So, with that, the Phillies’ starting outfield for 2025 appears set. They’re counting on it to be an improved unit, but there remain plenty of questions.

Let’s take a closer look at Philadelphia's outfield picture -- and some of the potential alternatives, if necessary:

Right field: Adolis García
Signed to a one-year, $10 million deal, García is expected to take over in right field for Castellanos, who is expected to be moved before the season. Similar to the Kepler signing a year ago, the Phillies are hoping García can bounce back from a down year offensively -- though this is different in a couple of ways.

For one, García still provided some pop, hitting 19 homers in 135 games for the Rangers. He’s averaged 28 homers and 91 RBIs in his five big league seasons. Secondly, his defense in right field -- particularly his strong arm -- should be a marked improvement over Castellanos.

Center field: Justin Crawford
Crawford, the No. 53 overall prospect per MLB Pipeline, was at least part of the reason the Phillies weren’t aggressive in trying to keep Bader in Philadelphia. The Phillies are eager to see what they have in the 22-year-old Crawford, who likely would have gotten promoted last season if not for the team acquiring Bader at the Deadline.

Left field: Brandon Marsh/Otto Kemp
Marsh will start in left field, though it’s likely be as part of a platoon. Despite some chances to claim an everyday role in recent seasons, he has been far better against righties (.797 career OPS) than lefties (.581 OPS).

Kemp, a player whose name has come up repeatedly this offseason from both manager Rob Thomson and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, appears to have the inside track to being the right-handed-hitting portion of that platoon.

Internal depth (listed in alphabetical order)

Bryan De La Cruz
Signed to a Minor League contract this offseason, Cruz will be in camp as a non-roster invitee. The 29-year-old spent the majority of last season at Triple-A, though he is just two years removed from hitting 21 homers in 149 big league games in 2024. De La Cruz also had a strong showing in the Dominican Winter League, hitting .301 with eight homers and an .888 OPS.

Pedro León
A former highly touted prospect within the Astros' organization, León flashed his potential in 2024 when he racked up 24 homers, 29 stolen bases, 90 RBIs and an .886 OPS with Triple-A Sugar Land. However, a left knee injury limited him to just 25 Minor League games last season. He was claimed off waivers by the Phillies in November.

Gabriel Rincones Jr.
Rincones’ name has come up a few times this offseason, with Thomson recently praising the prospect's ability to "hit the ball out of any part of the ballpark." The 24-year-old had 18 home runs and 21 stolen bases in 119 games with Triple-A Lehigh Valley last season.

Johan Rojas
The Phillies know what they have in Rojas, who has appeared in 250 games for the club over the past three seasons. Rojas is a strong defender, but his bat has yet to develop to the point where he can return to a consistent big league role.

External options (listed in alphabetical order)

Miguel Andujar
Though he's yet to replicate his success as a rookie in 2018 -- when he had 27 homers, 47 doubles and 92 RBIs for the Yankees -- Andujar has had some recent success, particularly against left-handed pitching. Over the past three seasons, he hit .374 with a .967 OPS in 192 plate appearances against southpaws.

Austin Hays
Yes, Hays’ previous stint with the Phillies did not go well, but that was largely out of his control. Despite his injury-riddled second half after he was acquired at the 2024 Trade Deadline, Hays rebounded by posting a respectable 105 OPS+ and hitting 15 home runs in 103 games for the Reds last season. He’s slashing .335/.402/.543 against lefties over the past two seasons.

Starling Marte
The 37-year-old Marte has transitioned to a part-time over role over the past few seasons, but he remains an above-average hitter. He had a 111 OPS+ and accounted for 1.0 WAR in just 98 games for the Mets last season.