The MLB Hot Stove is here, and the Phillies appear primed to be in on several notable free agents to improve a roster that reached the World Series.
One of several names linked to Philadelphia is shortstop Trea Turner, a two-time All-Star and former batting champion who would fit perfectly atop the Phillies' batting order.
The eight-year veteran has strong ties with Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber from his nearly seven seasons in Washington and is a career .302 hitter with a 122 OPS+. He hit .298 this past season with 21 homers and 100 RBIs while swiping 27 bases.
The Phillies declined Jean Segura's option for 2023, leaving a void at second base. Bryson Stott would move from shortstop to second base if the club were to ink Turner.
Turner isn't a Gold Glove-caliber defender, but he's solid with the glove and finished in the middle of the pack of all shortstops last season in categories such as defensive runs saved and total zone rating.
The 29-year-old has received a qualifying offer from the Dodgers for $19.5 million, but he'll likely command much closer to $30 million a year on the open market. Per sources, he's also looking for a deal longer than five years.
The Phillies have nearly $80 million coming off the books in salary entering 2023, so the cash is there to make a splash signing.
Another name connected to Philadelphia is Masataka Yoshida, a 29-year-old outfielder who played last season with the Orix Buffaloes in the Nippon Professional Baseball League and led his club to their first Japan Series in 26 seasons.
Yoshida is a two-time batting champion, a four-time All-Star, and carries a .327 career batting average in Japan over seven seasons.
The Buffaloes are expected to post Yoshida within the next few weeks, allowing clubs such as the Phillies a 30-day window to strike a deal with the player. The Buffaloes will collect a fee from the club that signs Yoshida per the MLB-NPB posting agreement.
Yoshida, a left fielder, hit .335 with Orix this year to go along with 21 homers and 88 RBIs.
Though he's an intriguing bat and a huge fan of Harper, Yoshida may not be a fit for the Phils based purely on roster construction.
The Phillies already have Schwarber and Nick Castellanos as corner outfielders. Assuming Harper is cleared to return to the outfield, he'll move back to rightfield while Castellanos shifts to leftfield, moving Schwarber to the designated hitter role.
The puzzle pieces, on paper at least, don't seem to fit.
