A year that started out in borderline disaster for the Philadelphia Phillies ended up being quite the success by the time October came around. The team was seven games under .500 in early June, then won 62% of its games the rest of the way (a 100-win pace for a season). This finish proved to be enough for the Phillies to easily earn a Wild Card spot.

The club easily dispatched the Miami Marlins in the first round, then took down the Atlanta Braves — the winningest team in baseball in the NLDS. Then came the NLCS. The Phillies entered as favorites against an Arizona Diamondbacks team that had the fewest wins of any MLB playoff team this year. The Phillies held leads of 2-0 and 3-2 against the Diamondbacks and even had a run differential of +9 in the series but were unable to close Games 6 or 7.

While the Phillies were denied a second consecutive World Series appearance, they still enter 2024 with a strong squad that is built to win in the playoffs. With free agency looming, here are two players the Phillies should target to strengthen the team for next year.

Matt Chapman (3B, Toronto Blue Jays)

Philadelphia's love-hate relationship with Alec Bohm continued once again in 2023. Bohm had a career-high 20 home runs and 97 RBI while also boasting an OPS of .765 while ranking in the 92nd percentile in expected batting average.

Yet Bohm is still a liability defensively. He was worth -9 runs saved above average in just 90 games at the hot corner in 2023 and ranked in the 11th percentile in outs above average. Backup Edmundo Sosa was a more solid defender but did not possess Bohm's bat, hitting .251 on the year but recording 74 strikeouts to just eight walks across 300 plate appearances.

The Phillies need an all-around third baseman, and the best player available at that position in the free agent market is Matt Chapman. Chapman finished with 11 defensive runs saved above average last year while ranking second in all of Major League Baseball in hard-hit percentage (trailing only Aaron Judge). He is a perennial Gold Glove candidate who would help shore up a Phillies defense that finished with -27 defensive runs saved above average — fifth-worst in MLB.

The Phillies have given Alec Bohm three full seasons to improve defensively at third base and even had him split time this year at first. But without any noticeable improvement with the glove, it is time for Philadelphia to move on from Bohm and look to sign Matt Chapman.

Harrison Bader (OF, Cincinnati Reds)

It was far from a banner year for Harrison Bader at the plate in 2023. Appearing for the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds, Bader batted just .232 across 98 games with an OPS of .622. He also managed 20 stolen bases during an injury-riddled campaign. Bader's biggest value to the Phillies though would be in his glove. The centerfielder ranked in the 95th percentile this past season in outs above average, 82nd percentile in arm value, and 91st percentile in arm strength.

As mentioned before, if there is one weakness in this Philadelphia team, it is defense. The team finished with -27 defensive runs saved above average — fifth-worst in MLB — and the biggest culprits were in the outfield. Kyle Schwarber was worth -20 defensive runs saved above average in just 103 games in left field, second worst in all of baseball, while right fielder Nick Castellanos was slightly better, only costing the team eight runs with his fielding. The addition of another outfielder allows Schwarber to shift to the designated hitter spot full-time and hides one of the biggest defensive liabilities in all of baseball.

Offensively, Bader provides the Phillies with another table-setter ahead of sluggers like Schwarber, Bryce Harper, and Castellanos. He is also a veteran clubhouse leader who offers playoff experience. While not the flashiest signing, Harrison Bader fills obvious needs for this Philadelphia Phillies team.