The Philadelphia Phillies have a clear need in the outfield, especially with the team likely to lose Harrison Bader and wanting to trade Nick Castellanos.
Philadelphia is likely to be aggressive in the offseason, and one area of need is in the outfield. The Phillies outfield could look much different in 2026, and MLB analyst and former big leaguer Trevor Plouffe predicts Philadelphia will sign Trent Grisham to a three-year deal.
“I’ve been on the hunt to find the center fielder for the Phillies, like a true guy that’s going to go in there,” Plouffe said on Talkin’ Baseball. “I don’t want to call it a stopgap for the next couple of years. I love Harrison Bader there. Does he sign back there? Possibly. But I think Bader is going to go wherever he gets the most money. There’s another guy that I think is a better fit, and I’m going to go with former Yankee Trent Grisham to the Phillies.
“I don’t think it’s a long deal. If they are going to give up a draft pick, they will give him three years. Trent Grisham is manning center field at Citizens Bank Park next year. Three-year deal for him.”
Grisham to the Phillies makes a ton of sense, as he would be their starting center fielder and add some more power to their lineup. He hit .235 with 34 home runs and 74 RBIs last season with the Yankees.
What is Grisham Expected to Get in Free Agency?
Grisham rebuilt his value tremendously in 2025 after nearly being a non-tender candidate by the Yankees last offseason.
The slugger will be in line for a multi-year deal if he does turn down the qualifying offer he received from the Yankees. MLBTradeRumors predicts Grisham will sign a four-year, $66 million deal.
“In the course of a single season, Trent Grisham shifted his appeal from his glove to his bat,” the article read. “That transformation is going to make him a lot more money than anyone could’ve anticipated in spring training. …
“Unwilling to pay Grisham more than $5MM a year ago, the Yankees were forced to decide whether his offensive explosion justifies more than quadrupling his salary. The club is faced with the potential loss of two starting outfielders, given Bellinger’s free agency. They chose to issue Grisham a qualifying offer. seeking either some center field certainty for 2026 if he accepts. Or draft pick compensation after the fourth round if he signs elsewhere.”
Along with his bat, Grisham plays solid defense, which is why several teams will be after him. He’s a two-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Phillies Have Interest in Bader
Bader served as the Phillies’ center fielder last season, and Philadelphia is open to retaining him.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski spoke to reporters at the GM meetings and kept the door open for Bader’s return.
“They know we have interest, they know that we’d like to bring him back,” Dombrowski said. “They also had expressed that they want to see what’s out there because this was the best year he’s had, I think, in quite a while.”
Bader hit .277 with 17 home runs and 54 RBIs last season between the Minnesota Twins and the Phillies.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Phillies Predicted to Sign 34-Home Run Hitter to Replace Harrison Bader appeared first on Heavy Sports.