The Philadelphia Phillies started the 2024 season with championship hopes and captured the NL East title for the first time since 2011. However, their playoff run ended early with a loss to the New York Mets in the NLDS. As they look to strengthen their roster this offseason, could a blockbuster trade for Houston Astros outfielder be on the horizon?
Dylan Sanders of SI.com suggests the Phillies should explore the possibility and believes third baseman Alec Bohm could be included in trade discussions. He proposed the following trade:
Phillies receive: Outfielder Kyle Tucker
Astros receive: Third baseman Alec Bohm, right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter, and outfielder/first baseman Carlos De La Cruz
In this hypothetical trade, Philadelphia would send an All-Star and two of their top prospects, ranked second and 25th by MLB.com, to Houston. This move would only make sense if Astros’ longtime third baseman Alex Bregman signs elsewhere in free agency.
Tucker, a three-time All-Star, missed part of 2024 due to injury but remained highly productive in his 78 games. Over 339 plate appearances, he hit .289/.408/.585 with 23 home runs, 49 RBIs, and 56 runs scored. After earning $12 million last season, he is projected to make $15.8 million in arbitration this winter.
Kyle Tucker Would Be a Long-Term Fit for the Phillies
Kyle Tucker’s upcoming 2025 season will be his final year of arbitration before becoming a free agent, leaving his long-term future with the Astros uncertain. Without a multi-year extension, Tucker is likely to be a frequent topic in trade rumors.
The Phillies have been linked to the three-time All-Star before, and he’d be a natural fit in their outfield. President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski would likely have no issue offering Tucker a significant contract if he hits free agency. Spotrac projects Tucker’s market value at around seven years and $195 million.
Currently, FanGraphs’ Roster Resource lists Philadelphia’s starting outfield as Austin Hays in left field, Brandon Marsh in center field, and Nick Castellanos in right, with Johan Rojas also seeing time in center in 2024. The Phillies’ outfield offense struggled overall last season, ranking 18th in baseball with a wRC+ of 97, according to FanGraphs. At nearly 28, Tucker would be a substantial offensive and defensive upgrade for the Phillies in 2025 and beyond.
Could Tucker Be Part of an Offseason Roster Makeover in Philly?
The Philadelphia Phillies reached the World Series in 2022 and came close to returning in 2023, falling just one win short before being eliminated by the Mets in the NLDS this past season. Although the team is still positioned to compete, could president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski shake up the roster this winter?
Dombrowski shared his thoughts during his end-of-season press conference, stating, “To me, the answer is not the missing piece. The answer is playing well at the right time. I don’t think there’s any secret formula. I take my responsibilities. I’m sure Rob Thomson takes his responsibilities. But sometimes you play well, and sometimes you don’t,” as reported by MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki.
Despite his comments, Dombrowski expressed a willingness to explore opportunities for improvement, which may require difficult choices. “The reality is, we have a lot of good players,” he said. “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.”
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