Philadelphia Phillies pitchers and catchers are due to report to Clearwater, Florida, on Feb. 12 for the start of spring training. The first full-squad workout is on Feb. 17. The roster is primarily set. However, the team could increase their depth at two position groups.
Philadelphia would benefit from adding another reliever and outfielder before the start of spring training. Several free agents are still available at both positions, which the Phillies could sign to affordable one-year contracts or invite to spring training.
The Phillies did not have reliable production offensively from their outfielders last year. Not only did the outfield group struggle at times, but they only had one player in the position group who looked worthy of playing every day, Nick Castellanos.
The bullpen was decent during the regular season. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski traded for Carlos Estévez at the trade deadline. The addition gave the Phillies a proven closer, which they lacked during the first half. José Alvarado struggled during the second half, which impacted the bullpen. The left-hander had been one of the team’s late-inning relievers and could not be relied upon in that role.
However, the bullpen had a collective meltdown during the NLDS versus the New York Mets. The performance was one of the main causes of the Phillies’ series loss.
While the bullpen was much more dependable during the regular season, Phillies relievers had an 11.37 ERA through the four games, one of the highest in postseason history. According to a piece by Dayn Perry of CBS Sports, they ranked 14th in team ERA, 10th in bullpen FIP (fielding independent pitching), and sixth in FanGraphs’ version of WAR (wins above replacement). The relievers allowed 16 earned runs in 12 2/3 innings. The group surrendered seven walks and four home runs, including Francisco Lindor’s series-clinching grand slam in Game 4.
The Phillies need to turn the page to 2025. More importantly, they need to play much better down the stretch of the regular season to enter the playoffs with momentum. They did so in 2022, made the playoffs, and won their first National League pennant since 2009.
Last year, they did not play well during the summer and end of the regular season. There were doubts they would beat the Mets in the playoffs because of how the club played over the previous three months. While the 2025 roster may be set, Philadelphia would benefit from adding another free agent to their outfield and bullpen.
Randal Grichuk
The Phillies signed free agent Max Kepler earlier in the offseason. Considering how inconsistent the club’s offseason position group was offensively last year, they could benefit from another addition to increase their depth. Randal Grichuk had one of the best seasons of his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2024.
Grichuk’s .876 OPS was the second-highest of his 11-year career, one point behind the .877 he totaled back in 2015 with the St. Louis Cardinals. His .291 batting average and .348 on-base percentage in 106 contests with the Diamondbacks were the highest of his career in those respective hitting categories.
The Phillies have some injury issues among their current outfielders. Brandon Marsh has missed time during 2023 and 2024 with various ailments. Aside from the first year he was promoted to the majors and the abbreviated 2020 season, Kepler played in a career-low 105 games with the Minnesota Twins last year. The 31-year-old missed time with a right knee contusion in April and then was placed on the IL at the beginning of September with left patellar tendinitis and missed the remainder of the season.
While Castellanos has demonstrated inconsistency, he seemed like the organization’s only productive player among the outfielders in 2024. He also showed his durability as manager Rob Thomson played him in every regular season game.
Johan Rojas needs to improve as a hitter following his first full season in the majors last year. He compiled a .243/.279/.322 line and a .601 OPS in 120 games, and the Phillies sent him down to Triple-A Lehigh Valley to work on his hitting struggles with the IronPigs last season. The Phillies will need more from their outfielders in 2025.
Philly’s high payroll has caused issues with luxury tax penalties, which has prevented them from being very active in free agency last offseason and this winter. They would have had to forfeit their second and fifth-round draft picks in the 2025 MLB Draft and $1 million of their international bonus pool money if they signed top free agents, including outfielders Juan Soto, Teoscar Hernández and Anthony Santander.
The Phillies’ outfield is set with Kepler, Marsh and Castellanos looking like the three starters. Can Rojas and Weston Wilson be enough to step up if one or more of the three starters is injured? The club could benefit from signing a more experienced outfielder to a one-year deal in a backup role. Coming off of one of his better seasons, Grichuk would be a solid addition as a bench player.
Mark Canha
Mark Canha is another experienced outfielder that the Phillies could add in a reserve role. He has been traded mid-season at the trade deadline in the last two years. The Milwaukee Brewers acquired him from the New York Mets in 2023, while the San Francisco Giants traded for him from the Detroit Tigers last year.
After the Brewers traded for him, Canha did better than he did with the Mets in 2023. After posting a .245/.343/.381 line with a .724 OPS in 89 games with New York, the San Jose, California, native had a slash line of .287/.373/.427 and an OPS of .800 in 50 contests in Milwaukee.
Canha also did better in the second half last season once the Giants traded for him. He had a .231/.337/.350 line with a .687 OPS in 93 games with the Tigers and then posted a .288/.376/.329 slash line and an OPS of .705 in 32 contests with San Francisco.
The outfielder has played 481 games in left field during his career, 180 in center and 157 in right. He has demonstrated his defensive versatility with 187 career games at first base and 10 games at third.
Canha will be 36 at the start of spring training and looks more suitable for a part-time role at this point in his career. He represents the ideal free agent for the Phillies to sign if they want to add more outfield depth. He would back up Kepler in left field and allow Marsh to play primarily in center. The former Giant would provide Thomson with a left-handed hitter to bat against left-handed pitchers.
MLB.com published an article in December about one realistic free agent for each team. Canha was chosen as a fit for Philadelphia. Beat writer Todd Zolecki wrote that the Phillies need to make another outfield addition: “At the moment, the Phillies expect Nick Castellanos, Kepler and Brandon Marsh to see the majority of playing time in the outfield. But a bat like Canha’s could face tough lefties, moving Kepler to center on occasion.”
The Phillies could sign Canha to an affordable one-year deal. If he remains unsigned at the beginning of spring training, the organization could invite him to Clearwater to compete for a roster spot. The addition would be low-risk, and his presence would give the club an experienced backup option for their outfield, something the team lacks.
Kenley Jansen
Kenley Jansen is an experienced, accomplished reliever. The 37-year-old will be entering his 16th season in the majors. He was one of the most consistent closers during 10 of his 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The right-hander has eight seasons with 30+ saves — four of those he finished with over 40. Jansen’s most recent season with over 40 saves was only back in 2022. He compiled 41 in his lone season with the Atlanta Braves.
Over the last two years, while with the Boston Red Sox, Jansen remained an effective closer, finishing 13th among relievers in saves with 29 in 2023. Last year, he finished 12th with 27 saves. The closer proved he was still effective late in games.
Jansen has a career 2.57 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. He has saved 447 games out of 507 opportunities in the regular season. His 447 saves is fourth-best all-time among relievers. There isn’t much reason for the Phillies not to sign him, especially if they can agree on a short-term deal.
Jansen also has a lengthy resumé as a reliable closer in the playoffs. He has appeared in 10 postseasons, nine of them with the Dodgers. The Willemstad, Curacao native has successfully saved 20 of 24 playoff opportunities, with a career 2.20 ERA and 0.80 WHIP. According to Baseball Savant, Jansen primarily relies on throwing a cutter. He also uses a slider and sinker in his pitching arsenal.
Romano is currently the Phillies’ only proven closer, but he is coming off an injury-riddled 2024 season. Philadelphia should commit to one reliever as their closer rather than relying on a committee of pitchers to save games as they did last year. Alvarado and Strahm are ideal in the middle innings or a setup role. Kerkering could see more work in a setup role this year. It is unknown if the Phillies will use him often to save games.
If Philly signed Jansen, it would provide more competition for the ninth-inning role. The addition would also deepen their bullpen with a successful, seasoned reliever who won a World Series with the Dodgers in 2020. He is a good complement to Romano if the former Blue Jays closer misses time again with injuries for a second consecutive year.
If Jansen prefers to sign with a contender, the Phillies are that. They have been trying to win a championship for the last three years, and will again look to win the Fall Classic in 2025 as the window is gradually closing.
