This story was excerpted from Todd Zolecki’s Phillies Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.
Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski walked into the GM Meetings in Las Vegas this week with a significant offseason to-do list. His successes or failures with that list will determine if they catch the Brewers, Dodgers and Braves in the National League in 2027.
What should be his top priority?
Dombrowski is scheduled to talk to reporters on Tuesday. Maybe he offers a hint then. Maybe not. A strong argument can be made for a top-of-the-line setup man to complement closer Jhoan Duran, considering the bullpen’s woes in the second half.
Adrian Morejon would be a fantastic addition, but relievers are a volatile bunch, so the Phillies would have to swallow hard to pay him what he is projected to earn in free agency: ESPN (four years, $88 million), MLB Trade Rumors (five years, $80 million) and The Athletic (five years, $100 million). Morejon also received a qualifying offer, so if he rejects it, the Phillies would forfeit their second- and fifth-highest selections, as well as $1 million from their international bonus pool for the upcoming signing period, to sign him.
But what this team needs more than anything is a legitimate, right-handed top-of-the-lineup bat.
Phillies cleanup hitters had a combined .645 OPS in 2026, which ranked 29th in baseball. They ranked 20th in 2025 (.720) and 17th in 2024 (.732), making this a multiyear problem. The Phillies hoped Max Kepler would bounce back in ’25. He did not. They hoped Adolis García would do the same this year. He did not.
The Phillies must do better.
The two most obvious choices to help are free-agent outfielders Seiya Suzuki and Randy Arozarena. Like Morejon, neither will come cheap. Suzuki and Arozarena are projected to earn a four-year contract in the $90-$110 million range. Both will likely reject their qualifying offers, so the Phillies also would have to pay the QO penalty to sign either one.
If it’s not Suzuki or Arozarena, perhaps it’s Dodgers outfielder Teoscar Hernández, who could be traded.
Maybe it’s somebody else. But they must find somebody.
The Phillies had two above-average hitters in 2026, based on OPS+: Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. It won’t be enough to roll into Spring Training saying they hope to get bounce-backs from Trea Turner, J.T. Realmuto and others.
Because even if they do, they need more.