Phillies Outfield Situation Even More Dire Than It Seems

Everyone knows the Philadelphia Phillies have issues in their outfield.

It's been a theme for the past few years, with the streaky Nick Castellanos being the best player in a unit that has underperformed compared to just about every team in Major League Baseball, let alone contenders who aim to win a World Series.

The Phillies tried to fix things when they took a chance on Max Kepler this past winter, hoping he could turn back the clock and provide a high-upside power bat to the lineup combined with elite defense.

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But that signing has been a disaster, and Philadelphia is right back to square one before the trade deadline.

How aggressive are they going to be when it comes to finding a solution in that position group?

There are varying reports, with the most optimistic information suggesting Dave Dombrowski will go after a blockbuster type of deal to land a difference maker for the foreseeable future, while the less enthusiastic thought process is that minimal moves will be made.

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One thing is clear, though: the outfield situation for the Phillies is dire.

And it's even worse than people might think.

With the All-Star break coming to a close, Charlotte Varnes of The Athletic (subscription required) took a look at where this unit stacks up compared to others around the MLB on both the offensive and defense sides of the ball.

Offense
-On-base percentage: 18th (.310)
-OPS: 25th (.685)

Defense
-Defensive runs saved: 29th (minus-24)
-Outs above average: 29th (minus-14)

So basically, Philadelphia's outfield is the second-worst defensive group in the sport, while they provide little on offense to make up for it.

That is a bad recipe, and it's something that has haunted this team for the past three years.

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Dombrowski has to know the Phillies cannot win a championship with the current outfield in place.

But he also created the current situation they are in, with Castellanos being untradable because of his contract, Brandon Marsh's value only coming from the club control he has remaining and Kepler being closer to a DFA candidate than an impact player.

It's ugly in the outfield for Philadelphia, and it's hard to predict it's going to get better.

For more Phillies news, head over to Phillies On SI.