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One of the biggest moves of the MLB offseason went down on Friday when star Astros outfielder Kyle Tucker was traded to the Chicago Cubs for a package including infielder Isaac Paredes, pitcher Hayden Wesneski and a prospect. The Cubs won the Tucker sweepstakes which included a number of contenders looking to beef up their lineup.
One of those teams was the Philadelphia Phillies, who are searching for another big bat to put in the middle of their lineup after a crushing loss in the NLDS against the New York Mets. The Phillies made a strong offer to the Astros for Tucker that included two of their starters in 2024, according to MLB insider Jim Bowden on MLB Network Radio.
“[The Phillies] offered [Nick] Castellanos and [Alec] Bohm for Tucker, two-for-one, and was turned down,” Bowden said. “The Astros don't like Bohm defensively. I know Rob Thompson told us at the winter meetings that he thinks he's a good defender and gotten better. … The Astros' evaluation is different. They don't view him there as a third baseman. And Castellanos is a guy that chases out of the zone, he's older, he gets some big hits.”
Instead, Tucker will be suiting up for one of the Phillies' National League rivals next season after the Cubs were able to swing what the Astros thought was a better deal.
What's next for the Phillies?
Arguably the biggest need for the Phillies coming into this season was another bat to add some juice into their batting g lineup. Bryce Harper is obviously still an elite hitter, Nick Castellanos has a lot of power and Kyle Schwarber is still a very dangerous leadoff man, but the Phillies lacked any pop outside of those three spots.
Now, as the winter meetings rage on, the Phillies have missed out on both Juan Soto as a free agent and Kyle Tucker in a trade, and they are still searching for that missing piece.
Former Blue Jays and Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernandez could be a strong addition for the Phillies as a power-hitting outfielder, though a reunion in Los Angeles still feels like the most likely outcome there. Hernandez would also fill a big hole for the Phillies in left field, which is a spot that they are weaker at heading into next season.
The Phillies could also opt to use a similar trade package centered around Bohm and Castellanos, or Bohm and another player or a collection prospects, to bring in the type of big bat that they need in the middle of the lineup. If they can somehow swing that while giving up just Bohm and keeping Castellanos, this could be a very powerful group in 2025.
