The Philadelphia Phillies could soon find themselves in need of a right fielder should they elect to trade current starter Nick Castellanos this offseason. With that has come a recent trade pairing that gifts them with an efficient option to take his place.
Phillies linked to Cubs RF Seiya Suzuki
Edward Eng of That Ball’s Outta Here rationalized why the Phillies pursuing Chicago Cubs RF Seiya Suzuki would be beneficial for Philadelphia on many fronts (h/t Evan Massey of Philadelphia Phillies on SI):
“Therefore, the upside and potential prospect cost to obtain Suzuki could actually appeal to the Phillies a lot more. Since Suzuki doesn’t come with any previous accolades along with a hefty salary that they’ll need to eat, the subsequent return package in the trade should be a lot more palatable for Philadelphia and their fans,” he wrote. “As a result, rather than just focusing on the free agent market and potentially overspending on prime targets like Anthony Santander and Teoscar Hernández, the Cubs may already have a more realistic and affordable option for the Phillies to find a solution to their outfield problems.”
Suzuki is a skilled talent that could service the Phillies
The former 2020 Olympic gold medalist owns a career .278/.354/.470 slash line and .824 OPS over the course of his three-year tenure in the MLB. In 2024, Suzuki also showed great prowess at the plate where he ranked in the 80th percentile or better with his 10.8 percent walk rate (80th percentile), 49.2 percent hard-hit percentage (91st percentile), 20.7 percent chase percentage (94th percentile), and .346 xwOBA (83rd percentile).
The Phillies could move pieces on the proverbial chess board to land Suzuki. He is owed $19 million in each of the final two years of his current five-year, $85 million deal ending in 2026. Philadelphia would inherit a strong bat and respectable defender in the process.