After the Philadelphia Phillies took a quick offseason detour that saw them pursue Yoshinobu Yamamoto and reportedly offer a contract that would push them way over the luxury tax threshold, they are likely returning to their normal course of action.
That would be to target some depth pieces in their outfield and for their bullpen. Dave Dombrowski mentioned how they won’t automatically give their young center fielder, Johan Rojas, the starting spot heading into 2024 and that he would have to earn that position.
Despite the elite defense that he showed, his poor offense in the postseason was a liability. So, if the Phillies are looking for a cheaper option that would give their outfield unit a lift, they could go after Eddie Rosario, the former outfielder of their divisional rival Atlanta Braves.
The 31-year-old was acquired by the Braves at the trade deadline in 2021. He was a massive sparkplug on their World Series-winning run, slashing .271/.330/.573 with seven home runs and 16 RBI during 33 appearances in the regular season. He took his game to the next level in the playoffs, recording a sizzling slash line of .383/.456/.617 with three home runs, 11 RBI and an NLCS MVP award.
Rosario never quite reached the level of success that he achieved in the 2021 season, having a disastrous year in 2022 because of an eye issue that required surgery. Following 2023, Atlanta declined his club option. Still, he could become a useful player for Philadelphia next season.
He’s a corner outfielder, something that the Phillies could use, especially if they don’t start Rojas out in center to begin the year. Brandon Marsh would likely then move to center field and they would need another player in left besides Kyle Schwarber, Cristian Pache or Jake Cave.
Following Nick Castellanos’ struggles in the postseason, having another option off the bench who has a history of producing in the playoffs is another plus. The best part is that Rosario is only expected to receive a contract around $6.5 million according to Spotrac. That’s an incredibly cheap addition to get a player onto the roster who won an NLCS MVP three seasons ago.
