The Philadelphia Phillies have some big decisions to make this offseason; namely, whether or not to retain Kyle Schwarber, and figure out what to do with their outfield. However, there may be a player who could fix both those problems.
Fansided’s Christopher Kline believes that the player is superstar Mike Trout. The three-time MVP grew up a Philly fan, and could anchor their outfield or replace Schwarber at DH.
“The Philadelphia Phillies are Trout's hometown team and the team most frequently connected to him as a hypothetical landing spot…This works out cleanly if Kyle Schwarber leaves in free agency and opens up the DH spot. The Phillies need help in the outfield and Trout is a major defensive upgrade over Nick Castellanos, but Philadelphia probably prefers to protect Trout from himself. If Schwarber leaves and Trout doesn't need to field much at all, his bat becomes awfully intriguing as a Schwarber replacement,” Kline wrote.
This past season, Trout slashed.232/.359/.439/.797 with 14 doubles, 26 home runs, and 64 RBI in 130 games played. While his average seems low, his other numbers indicate he’s still a great hitter, and put in the Phillies’ lineup, they’d be sure to increase.
The only holdups are Trout’s age and contract. He’s 34 years old and is slated to receive around $37 million per year for the next five years. However, if he can transition into a DH and play in a top-tier offense, it could very well be worth it.
Hopefully, the Phillies consider trading for him and start building a package to offer the Los Angeles Angels if they lose Schwarber.
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