Philadelphia Phillies: 3 free agent bench bats worth adding to the roster
By David Esser
Billy Hamilton, CF
If I was running the show for the Phillies, I would simply commit to former eighth overall pick Adam Haseley as my everyday center fielder. Unfortunately (or fortunately), I am not in charge, and manager Joe Girardi has shown in an inherent distrust when it comes to using Haseley as a regular starter.
On top of that, the Phillies were linked to Gold Glove center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. a few weeks ago, signaling that Dombrowski views the position as needing an upgrade as well.
With that in mind, the Philadelphia Phillies should be interested in the backup CF market this winter. The days of running Kingery out there will likely have to end due to the team’s lack of infield depth, and Roman Quinn’s days as an actual fielder are limited. Throw in the fact that Andrew McCutchen only has so many good games left in him, and the Phillies are going to need some bodies to rely on in the outfield.
Billy Hamilton has been objectively *bad* the last couple of years, but he’s coming off a strong 14 games with Chicago in 2020. Despite batting .045 with the Mets beforehand, Hamilton finished the year slashing .300/.364/.600 with the Cubs. His previous struggles in 2019 and 2020 will likely see him sign for a super cheap price, but his promising finish this past summer gives some upside to him as a rotational outfielder.
Additionally, Hamilton is still one of the fastest players in baseball – giving Girardi another weapon to utilize on the base paths should he end up in Philly. Hamilton also finished 2020 with a 1.000 fielding percentage.