Philadelphia Phillies Rumors: Interest in 2 sluggers not named Kris Bryant

The latest Philadelphia Phillies rumors tell us something we already knew about the team: the front office is looking to bolster the starting lineup with some power.

Along with interest in Kris Bryant, Bryce Harper’s good friend and ideal fit for third base next season, recent Phillies rumors have named two other sluggers as possible targets.

Recent Phillies rumors connect the team to Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber

Nick Castellanos and Kyle Schwarber are the pair of sluggers the Phillies are kicking the tires on. Ideal fits in one way because of one offense-first, defense-never they tend to be, this could be a case of the club looking possibly snag a future DH. While many of us had Rhys Hoskins penciled in as a possibility, the front office may have other plans.

Castellanos is coming off of a 34 home run, 100 RBI season which also included a .309/.362/.576 slash line. He has always been a slugger, even in his early days with the Detroit Tigers.

However, in recent seasons, Castellanos has reached a whole new level.

Back in 2019, Castellanos split his time between the Tigers and Chicago Cubs. He batted .289/.337/.525 with 58 doubles and 27 home runs to go with his 73 RBI. Once a third baseman who is now hiding out in right field, one other possibility for the Phillies could be for him to see some action at first base.

Whatever the intention is, his name appearing in Phillies rumors comes because of his bat.

A lot of the same sentiments could be said about Schwarber. Another guy with a reputation for hitting home runs and having no true positions, he’s an ex-catcher that has since moved to left field. He’d also be a candidate to play some first base if the Phillies move on from Hoskins in a trade or decide he’s a better overall fit at DH.

Last season, Schwarber combined to hit 32 home runs and drive in 71 as a member of the Washington Nationals and later the Boston Red Sox. The power surge could have been even more immense if he managed to stay healthy. Schwarber’s home run parade took place over the course of only 471 plate appearances across 113 games.

Thinking of stashing him in left field would be an absolute mistake by the Phillies who already have enough defense woes to address. But like Castellanos, you don’t sign Schwarber for his glove. You sign him because of his stick.

Offense may not have been the biggest problem for the Phillies last year, but in looking to fill a couple of positions and what many expect to be an everyday DH, it’s hard to complain. Thus far, the team has been quiet in the pre-lockout phase of the hot stove. Let’s see if they can get someone to put pen to paper before everything shuts down and we panic for a couple of weeks or months.