Despite falling short to the Los Angeles Dodgers in the postseason, the Philadelphia Phillies had a relatively quiet offseason aside from retaining Kyle Schwarber.
The Phillies kept their core intact for this season, but did lose a few key players, including Ranger Suárez, Harrison Bader and Nick Castellanos. Philadelphia did bring in two-time All-Star Adolis García, but could still use a platoon outfielder.
One player the Phillies reportedly were interested in earlier this offseason was Kansas City Royals outfielder Randal Grichuk. With the season nearly upon us, Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer listed Philadelphia as the ‘best fit’ for the 12-year veteran slugger.
“Between Nick Castellanos’ release and Bryce Harper’s discontent, there have been more pressing stories concerning the Phillies lately,” Rymer wrote Thursday. “But weren’t they supposed to be looking for a platoon outfielder? That was the case in January, and Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic specifically linked them to the right-handed-hitting Grichuk.
“He had a rough one in 2025, with his OPS falling 201 points from where it had been in 2024. Yet his exit velocity and hard-hit rate actually went up, and he still had his longstanding knack for pulling the ball in the air. Those strengths would play nicely at Citizens Bank Park, where Grichuk would supplant Johan Rojas as the primary platoon partner for Brandon Marsh and Justin Crawford.”
Grichuk may not have the same power he displayed earlier in his career, but he could still make an impact for the Phillies. Despite struggling last season, the 34-year-old slugger slashed .291/.348/.528 in 2024 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs. Bringing in the veteran outfielder would give Philadelphia some much-needed depth.
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