Five Creative Moves To Shake Up the Phillies’ Roster

The Philadelphia Phillies, under Dave Dombrowski’s leadership, haven’t been known to break the mold. 

To be clear, that’s no criticism. The future Hall of Famer has done terrific work, and the Phillies have improved in every season of his tenure.

However, he has mostly succeeded by making the straightforward, sensible moves. Signing, re-signing, and extending All-Star talent. Making smart under-the-radar pick-ups. Supplementing the roster with extra arms and new bench bats at the trade deadline.

That was especially true this past season. The Phillies came into the 2024 campaign with almost exactly the same roster as they had the year before. Their one big move of the offseason was re-signing their longest-tenured player, Aaron Nola.

According to FanGraphs WAR, Philadelphia’s most valuable players in 2024 who weren’t on the team in 2023 were Spencer Turnbull (0.7 fWAR), Tanner Banks (0.2 fWAR), and Carlos Estévez (0.2 fWAR).

Could this offseason be different?

Speaking to the media after the Phillies’ early postseason exit, Dombrowski hinted at a more creative plan.

“I think we just have to be open-minded to exploring what’s out there for us, talk to some clubs and see what ends up happening. That process hasn’t started. Sometimes you trade good players for good players.”

Dombrowski’s comments were vague. Most end-of-year press conference comments are. But he has mentioned the concept of open-mindedness enough that it’s worth considering what those words could really mean.

Here are some possibilities.

Five Creative Moves the Phillies Could Make This Offseason

Phillies Trade Ranger Suárez to Cubs for Ian Happ or Seiya Suzuki

This is really three creative moves in one:

• Trade Ranger Suárez
• Trade for Ian Happ or Seiya Suzuki
• Reduce Nick Castellanos’s playing time

How does this move make the Phillies better? Suárez, Happ, and Suzuki were all similarly valuable players in 2024. I imagine they’ll be similarly valuable again in 2025.

However, the Phillies desperately need to improve their outfield, and they can afford to part with a starting pitcher to do so. This past season, they ranked third in MLB in starting pitching WAR and 19th in outfield WAR (per FanGraphs).

Most contending teams have three starting outfielders. I’m not convinced the Phillies even have one. Nick Castellanos is barely a league-average bat and a liability with the glove. Brandon Marsh can’t hit lefties. Johan Rojas can’t hit, period. And Austin Hays isn’t the answer.

Typically, I’d expect the Phillies to address this need in free agency. But there might not be a great fit in this year’s free agent class. The Phillies don’t need another slow-moving slugger like Anthony Santander or Teoscar Hernández. They can’t afford to take a high-risk, high-reward gamble on someone like Jurickson Profar and Tyler O’Neill.

Juan Soto would be an upgrade (duh), but the Phillies can’t count on winning that bidding war.

As for Happ or Suzuki? Either one would immediately slot in as this team’s best outfielder. Happ is a consistent switch hitter and three-time Gold Glove winner in left field. Suzuki can hold his own in right field and has the power to be a middle-of-the-order bat.

With either one of them playing an everyday role, the Phillies could get by with Castellanos, Marsh, and Rojas splitting the playing time in the other two outfield spots.

Losing Suárez would be a tough blow. Not only he is well-liked within the fanbase for his postseason heroics, but he has been a key member of the pitching staff for the past four years. Ultimately, however, the Phillies have ways to replace him. (More on that in a moment.)

So, what about the other side of this deal? What do the Cubs stand to gain?

The Cubs have a surplus of talented outfielders on the active roster. With Pete Crow-Armstrong in center field, Cody Bellinger in right field, and Happ in left field, it seems like Suzuki will get most of his playing time at DH.

Suzuki isn’t a great defender, but he’s a capable glove. The Cubs would be squandering some of his value by making him a full-time DH. Think of it like this: As a full-time right fielder, Suzuki might be more productive than Ranger Suárez. But as a full-time DH, he’s probably less valuable.

What’s more, Chicago’s outfield/DH picture is only going to get more crowded when top prospects like Kevin Alcántara, Matt Shaw, and Owen Caissie enter the picture.

The downside for the Cubs is that Suárez only has one year of team control remaining. Happ and Suzuki are both under contract for two more seasons. That said, Suárez is projected to earn less than half of what Happ and Suzuki are making in 2025. The Cubs could put those savings toward improving another area of need on the roster.

As for why the Cubs would covet Suárez? Chicago has a solid rotation on paper (Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, Jameson Taillon, Javier Assad, and Jordan Wicks/Ben Brown), but Imanaga and Steele are the only arms I’d really trust with a postseason series on the line. Suárez could be the number three starter the Cubs need.

It’s not ideal that he’s left-handed (Imanaga and Steele are also southpaws), but ultimately, talent is more important than platoon matchups. And Phillies fans certainly know that Suárez has the talent.

Let me be clear: This is a “creative” move for a reason. There are plenty of reasons it could fall through. The Cubs have not expressed any desire to trade an outfielder this offseason, and both Happ and Suzuki have no-trade clauses in their contracts.

From the Phillies’ perspective, they may not want to sell low on Suárez after his rough second half in 2024, and they may not be willing to throw in the additional prospect the Cubs would most likely require.

Still, a move like this could make both teams better in 2025. It’s unlikely to happen, but that’s what makes it fun.

Phillies Re-sign Jeff Hoffman… for the Starting Rotation

If the Phillies need to replace Suárez (or even if they don’t), they’ll probably be looking for at least one free agent starting pitcher this winter. What if the best rotation upgrade is the one they had under their noses the whole time?

A couple of reports came out earlier this offseason suggesting some teams were considering signing Jeff Hoffman and converting him into a starting pitcher.

Many years ago, Hoffman was a prized starting pitching prospect. He still has the velocity and arsenal diversity to potentially succeed in that role. It’s an intriguing possibility.

On the one hand, you could argue that if the Phillies saw Hoffman as a starter, they would have already tried him in that role. That’s a fair point.

On the other hand, this team wasn’t desperate for starters until the 2024 season was already well underway. By that time, Hoffman was a critical member of the bullpen. Perhaps the Phillies just didn’t want to mess with his success halfway through an All-Star campaign.

No team is more familiar with Hoffman and his arsenal than Philadelphia. And it’s pretty clear that Hoffman works well with pitching coach Caleb Cotham.

The Phillies have their fair share of talented starting pitchers (and another on the way), so they won’t be hamstrung if a move like this doesn’t work out. But if it does? Considering the surprising success Hoffman enjoyed over his first two seasons in Philadelphia, the results could be better than anyone expects.

Phillies Move Alec Bohm and Sign Willy Adames

Once again, this plan is really three creative moves in one:

• Trade Alec Bohm
• Sign Willy Adames
• Move Trea Turner to second base and Bryson Stott to third

Bohm’s name has already come up in early trade rumors this offseason. In fact, he might be the most talked-about trade candidate of November, aside from White Sox ace Garrett Crochet.

It’s one of those things that won’t seem real until it actually happens, but it’s not hard to understand why the Phillies might be shopping Bohm around. He has the talent to bring back real value in a trade.

At the same time, the Phillies might finally be coming to terms with the idea that they won’t be the ones to bring out his full potential.

What’s more, a major league trade chip like Bohm could be exactly what the Phillies need to trade for some MLB-ready pitching this winter. For the sake of this piece, I’m not concerned about where the Phillies could trade Bohm, but the guys on the Just Baseball Show laid out one potential swap:

That might be way more than the Phillies are willing to give up for two years of Crochet, but it’s a great example of how this team could get creative and flip Bohm to address a different area of need.

Now, for the Adames of it all…

The Phillies should only trade Bohm if they have a plan to get more value out of third base in 2025. That has led plenty of fans to wonder if they could pursue star third baseman Alex Bregman in free agency. But I have a better idea: Sign Willy Adames instead.

Bregman and Adames are similarly talented players. They’re probably going to sign similar contracts. But Adames is younger, faster, and plays a premium defensive position. The Phillies have more need for his all-around talents than Bregman’s big bat.

Trea Turner is already a poor defensive shortstop. It’s hard to guess how much longer he’ll be able to stick at the position. By trading Bohm, signing Adames to play shortstop, and sliding Turner over to second base and Bryson Stott over to third, the Phillies could significantly improve their infield defense for years to come.

Stott is better suited to play third base than Turner. Even with a bit of a learning curve, I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s better than Bohm almost immediately. But, if the idea of moving Stott to third bothers you too much, why not consider my next idea instead?

Phillies Move Bryson Stott and Sign Willy Adames

The rumors so far have focused almost exclusively on Bohm. Still, it’s worth considering that Stott might just be the better trade chip.

Bohm is coming off a stronger season, but Stott is younger, cheaper, and under team control for one more year. He can also (theoretically) play second base, third base, or shortstop, giving him more potential landing spots.

Moreover, Stott could lose his job in a year or two anyway if Aidan Miller forces his way into the Phillies’ infield conversation. So, if Dombrowski can get a better return for Stott than Bohm, there’s no reason Stott should be untouchable.

In this scenario, Adames would still be the new shortstop and Turner would still slide over to second base. Bohm would remain a defensive liability at third, but his bat is better than Stott’s, and at least he has plenty of experience at the position.

Phillies Trade for Sonny Gray

Plenty of pundits have identified Garrett Crochet as a trade target for the Phillies this offseason. But Crochet isn’t the only ace who could be up for grabs.

With the Cardinals potentially looking to cut payroll, it wouldn’t be surprising if they tried to trade three-time All-Star and 2023 AL Cy Young runner-up Sonny Gray. And if Gray is on the market, the Phillies should absolutely put in their best offer.

After all, why would the Phillies want to give up a massive prospect haul for two years of Crochet when they could flex their financial muscle and give up much less to acquire Gray?

Due to a backloaded contract, Gray is set to make $60 million over the next two years. He also has a deferred $5 million buyout on a $30 million club option for 2027.

Considering his age, that’s almost certainly more than he could command on the open market. Therefore, if the Cardinals want another team to take on most (or all) of his contract, they won’t be able to ask for much else in return.

Gray is almost a decade older than Crochet, and he doesn’t offer quite as much potential. On the other hand, what he lacks in upside, he makes up for with a long track record of success.

Crochet only has one season as a starter under his belt. There’s no denying it was a great one. But Gray was almost as good in 2024 (3.84 ERA, 166.1 IP, 3.8 fWAR), and he’s been doing this for more than a decade.

Like Happ and Suzuki, Gray has a no-trade clause. Reports have suggested he’d prefer to remain in St. Louis. But Gray is slowly running out of time to win a World Series, and the Phillies could give him a much better chance of attaining every ballplayer’s ultimate goal.