ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 27: Jackie Bradley Jr. #19 of the Boston Red Sox (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
The Philadelphia Phillies could completely remake the roster this year.
The NL East seems like a complete mess in 2021, as any one of the five teams could easily claim the division title. The Philadelphia Phillies might’ve missed out on the postseason last year, as calling their bullpen from last year “shambolic” is being extremely kind, but any team led by Bryce Harper and managed by Joe Girardi will have a puncher’s chance in the East.
While the Phillies should look to improve their team and sign one of these three free agents, but they should be wary of overspending and signing one of the riskier players out there.
The Phillies need to sign one of these three players, but they should avoid getting one quetsionable free agent
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Jackie Bradley Jr.
CF Boston Red Sox
Bradley remains one of the best defensive center fielders in the game, but his offense has never really evolved into what the Red Sox hoped it would, save for one standout All-Star season. While he had an OPS+ below 100 from 2017 to 2019, he started to show signs of turning it around in 2020, as he set a new career-high with a .283 batting average. If Bradley’s offensive turnaround is to be believed, and his trademark excellent defense is showing no signs of waning, the Phillies should pounce and make him their new everyday centerfielder.
The Phillies have two former top draft picks in Adam Haseley and Mickey Moniak that saw some action last year, but their development has been much slower than Philadelphia anticipated. The Phillies are in a win-now mode given the veteran-heavy roster, and they might not have the time to put up with either of their growing pains while the Atlanta Braves and New York Mets start to separate.
Bradley is going to cost quite the pretty penny, but very rarely has signing an elite defender coming off of a career offensive season ever been a complete bust. Aggressiveness will be rewarded this offseason, and signing Bradley would be a great start to the winter.