If one issue has plagued the Philadelphia Phillies in 2024, it's been their outfield.
With All-Stars littered across the pitching staff and infield, the Phillies have still been Major League Baseball's best team for most of the season. But the outfield has failed to produce offensively, which even led to speculation about a blockbuster trade earlier this summer.
The blockbuster never came. The outfield still has question marks. But in 2025, those question marks could be a thing of the past.
The top bat on the market among outfielders is clearly New York Yankees superstar Juan Soto. Still just 25, Soto is on a Hall of Fame trajectory, and will likely sign the second-biggest free agent deal ever, behind the incomparable Shohei Ohtani.
The Phillies could get in line if they want to bid upwards of half a billion dollars on the generational superstar. But another option could be more enticing, says New York Post insider Jon Heyman.
"The Phillies are a serious team that could make sense," Heyman said. "But an even better fit for them might be center fielder Cody Bellinger if he opts out (the guess now is he may not since he has $52.5M to go through 2026, plus another key opt out.)"
Heyman alludes to it at the end, but a key wrench in the Phillies' plans to sign Bellinger, or any team's plans, would be the 29-year-old opting back into his Cubs deal. He can play another year in Chicago in hopes of upping his numbers and then opt out before 2026.
It isn't as though Bellinger has been bad this season, though. The 2019 National League Most Valuable Player compiled a .765 OPS/114 OPS+, good for 2.4 wins above replacement.
If Bellinger opts for the security of a long-term deal over playing on a $27.5 million one-year guarantee, there's still a chance he could wind up in Philadelphia.
If the Phillies were to plug Bellinger into their everyday lineup in 2025, they would be an even more potent threat than they are now. But Bellinger has to make himself available before they can make their pitch.
More MLB: Phillies are 'serious' threat to sign $600 million superstar, per insider
