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Phillies Could Land .880 OPS Outfielder in Sleeper Offseason Move
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- Phillies Could Land .880 OPS Outfielder in Sleeper Offseason Move
The Philadelphia Phillies definitely need to add some offense this offseason, and their most glaring area of need in that department is in the outfield.
To say that the Phillies didn't get adequate production from their outfielders in 2026 would be putting it lightly, especially with Brandon Marsh torpedoing in the second half.
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It's not like Philadelphia has any obvious internal answers, either.
The Phillies absolutely must make some moves this winter, and one low-cost, potentially high-reward solution could be Randal Grichuk.
Grichuk split 2026 between the New York Yankees and Chicago White Sox, slashing .287/.314/.566 with 15 home runs and 46 RBI over 280 plate appearances.
The bulk of his production came in Chicago, where he slashed .299/.328/.598 across 101 games.
At 35 years old, Grichuk is not going to be signing any lucrative long-term deals. He'll likely be had on an affordable one-year contract, and it's something Philadelphia should consider.
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Now, the caveat with Grichuk is that he would have to be a platoon player. He mashed lefties to the tune of a 1.025 OPS this season, but didn't have nearly the same amount of success against righties, slashing .220/.216/.420.
Grichuk hasn't historically been that bad against right-handed pitching over the course of his career (.730 OPS), but he definitely hits lefties (.839 OPS) considerably better.
But still, the fact that the wily veteran is that effective against southpaws is absolutely reason to consider him for next season.
It's also worth noting that Grichuk posted one defensive run saved in the outfield this year, so it's not like he's a major liability in the field.
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Is he the most exciting solution? Absolutely not, but this free-agent class is rather thin, and you already know the Phillies are probably going to try and cut corners financially.
Philadelphia has a bunch of expensive contracts on its payroll, and it probably doesn't want to add a whole lot more. But it can potentially do something like re-sign Luis Arraez for second base and then add Grichuk as well another a couple of other relatively inexpensive (but effective) pieces for the lineup.
Grichuk owns a lifetime .769 OPS since entering the majors in 2014, so he has always been a solid hitter. He isn't the best at getting on base with his career .299 OBP, but his surprisingly impressive .470 SLG compensates for it.
Yes, he's another older player, but he proved in 2026 that he's still got it, and he could absolutely comprise a cost-effective option for the Phillies.
