Trading for 2023 Postseason Standout Could Solve Phillies' Outfield Issues

The Philadelphia Phillies need help in the outfield.

That has been abundantly clear for the last couple of seasons.

With Max Kepler's struggles against left-handed pitchers being a real issue, the Phillies are using two platoons with a righty hitter filling in for him when lefties are on the mound and Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas splitting the workload depending on the pitching matchup.

If Philadelphia had real bench options, that might not be such a worrying thing.

More News: Ranking 4 Relievers Named Potential Trade Targets for Phillies Ahead of Deadline

However, Rojas continues to have problems at the plate and Otto Kemp has been solid since being called up, but has yet to provide much power.

Simply put, the Phillies are lacking a gamechanger who can come in and flip things on its head with one swing of the bat.

Someone who could solve those problems is Adolis Garcia of the Texas Rangers.

More News: Former Phillies Outfielder Gets Called Up by New York Mets

With that team continuing to play below their expected level, it's starting to become much more of a reality that they might be forced to sell before the trade deadline, moving some of their assets to get back future pieces that will help them continue to be contenders in the future.

Because of that, Jeff Passan of ESPN gives Garcia a staggering 80% chance of being dealt this year.

While the slugger has not been the same since his incredible 2023 campaign where he blasted 39 homers and set a single postseason record with 22 RBI on his way to winning ALCS MVP and powering the Rangers to their first-ever World Series title, he could be a great buy-low option for Philadelphia.

First, when looking at his disappointing .232/.283/.397 slash line, the advanced statistics suggest he's been wildly unlucky this year.

Garcia's xBA is .251 compared to his .232 average, while his xSLG is .467 in comparison to his actual .397 slugging percentage.

That doesn't mean everything is going to turn around. However, his hard hit percentage of 51.0% is the highest of his career while his barrel rate of 13.3% is the second-highest behind his standout 2023 performance, suggesting positive regression is coming at some point.

More News: Five Phillies Closing in on All-Star Game Phase Two Voting

If the Phillies do acquire him, they would have to reimagine their outfield setup.

Garcia has played 490 games in right field, 145 in center and just 16 in left.

With Nick Castellanos slotted as their everyday right fielder, they'd need to figure out where they would play Garcia.

It's hard to imagine Philadelphia would trade for him and use him as a platoon option, but if he is accepting of that role, then there's no doubt he would be a major upgrade and bring an element of power to this lineup that they are lacking.

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