The Philadelphia Phillies need an outfielder this offseason, and between the international and domestic pools, there are major names who could be available in free agency.
If the franchise doesn’t retain designated hitter Kyle Schwarber, they could pivot to Chicago Cubs OF Kyle Tucker. And if that doesn’t pan out, Philles Nation’s Destiny Lugardo believes Michael Conforto could be a backup option for the outfield.
Lugardo recognised Conforto’s shortcomings with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025, which included a batting average below the Mendoza Line and absences from all four postseason rosters on a $17 million salary.
Lugardo also recognised that the move for the former New York Met would be unpopular in the City of Brotherly Love.
“Does a left-handed-hitting corner outfielder who had by far the worst year of his career in 2025 do anything for you? No? That’s understandable, but this is the kind of uninspiring free agent market the Phillies are probably shopping in. Conforto was one of the better hitting outfielders in baseball with the Mets before undergoing major shoulder surgery in 2022. His first two years in San Francisco were fine. He signed a one-year, $17 million deal with the Dodgers last year and batted.199 with a.637 OPS. He somehow survived the entire regular season on the roster. He was left off the playoff roster in all four Dodgers postseason series,” Lugardo wrote.
“He can’t be as awful as he was last year. The Phillies say they are comfortable with Crawford or Marsh in center. If they can’t find an upgrade in center, I would bet on a Conforto “bounce back.” He has the track record to secure a major league deal, but probably won’t cost much. Everyone will be very upset if the Phillies actually do this.”
When a hitter’s confidence is gone, it oftentimes doesn’t come back. While Conforto was a slugger who could give you 30 home runs in his prime, he struggles to make contact these days. It’s unclear what the problem was, but it’s risky to assume a change of scenery solves every problem.
If the Phillies want to risk $5 million on a player who contributed nothing to his team’s World Series run, that’s their problem.