The Philadelphia Phillies entered 2024 with championship aspirations. Despite winning the National League East for the first time since 2011, they were bounced by the New York Mets in the NLDS. Could Philly shake things up this winter by targeting Houston Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker on the trade market?
Dylan Sanders of SI.com thinks it’s something the Phillies should consider. He also doesn’t believe third baseman Alec Bohm should be off-limits. Here’s the proposed trade he put together:
Phillies receive: outfielder Kyle Tucker
Astros receive: third baseman Alec Bohm, right-handed pitcher Andrew Painter and outfielder/first baseman Carlos De La Cruz
This hypothetical deal would send a 2024 All-Star to Houston, as well as Philly’s second and 25th-ranked prospects, per MLB.com. Of course, this only makes sense if long-time Houston third baseman Alex Bregman signs elsewhere in free agency.
Tucker was named an All-Star for the third straight year in 2024 but was limited to 78 games because of injury. He was still incredibly productive across 339 plate appearances for the Astros. The outfielder slashed .289/.408/.585 with 23 home runs, 49 RBI and 56 runs scored. He earned $12 million last year and is projected to get $15.8 million via arbitration this winter.
Kyle Tucker Would Be a Long-Term Fit for the Phillies
The 2025 season will be Tucker’s last year of arbitration, as he’s scheduled to become a free agent next offseason. It’s undetermined if he’ll stay in Houston long-term. So, he’ll likely be the subject of trade rumors until he signs a multi-year deal.
This is not the first time Philadelphia has been linked to the three-time All-Star. He’d fit into the club’s outfield mix nicely, and Dombrowski would likely have no problem giving him the lucrative contract he’ll be looking for on the open market. Spotrac projects the market value for his next contract at seven years and $195 million.
FanGraphs’ Roster Resource lists the Phillies’ starting outfield as Austin Hays in left field, Brandon Marsh in center field and Nick Castellanos in right field. Johan Rojas also played center field throughout 2024. The Phillies’ outfield offense was subpar overall last season. They produced a 97 wRC+, which ranked 18th in baseball, per FanGraphs.
So, the soon-to-be 28-year-old would be a huge upgrade for the Phils in 2025 and into the immediate future.
Could Tucker Be Part of an Offseason Roster Makeover in Philly?
The Phillies reached the World Series in 2022. They were one win away from returning to the Fall Classic in 2023. This past season fell short of expectations as the Mets eliminated them in the NLDS. While the club is seemingly still built to win, could president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski make radical changes to the roster this winter?
“To me, the answer is not the missing piece,” Dombrowski said during his end-of-season press conference, via MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki. “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.”
Despite saying that, he’ll be interested in exploring ways to improve his club, which might involve some tough decisions.
“I mean, 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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