Philadelphia Phillies: Is a Kevin Kiermaier trade worth it?

Before the lockout began, the Philadelphia Phillies were actively looking into a possible trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for center fielder Kevin Kiermaier. You may know the name. You may know the reputation, too.

In 851 big league games which all began with a single appearance back in 2013, Kiermaier has swept up three Gold Gloves while batting .249/.310/.720. His offensive numbers have varied over the years while his defensive abilities have remained consistent.

Knowing he’s a potential liability at the plate, Kiermaier is a costly option for the Phillies to consider in center field next year. His salary alone is over $12 million with a $13 million payday for 2023 or a $2.25 million buyout if they decide to move on.

The Philadelphia Phillies don’t have many other places to turn for center field help

As of right now, FanGraphs has Mickey Moniak listed as the projected starting center fielder for the Phillies in 2022. Is that a ghost behind you or did you just read something terrifying?

For as weak of a hitter as Kiermaier has been in some seasons, it doesn’t compare to the big league start Moniak has had. In 55 plate appearances, the former first overall pick is hitting .128/.241/.191. His minor league numbers didn’t inspire much faith either. While he did hit a career-high 15 home runs in Triple-A, it came with a .238/.299/.447 slash line.

Moniak could very well be one of those late bloomers. We haven’t seen signs of it yet. So, please stop holding your breath for now.

Good center field help is hard to find

Baseball’s best hitters are rarely center fielders. It’s something that makes Mike Trout even more intriguing. He’s a throwback to the days of Willie Mays or even Ken Griffey Jr. The best hitting outfielders usually slot in at a corner spot with the speedy guys with great gloves relegated to patrol center field.

A trade for Kiermaier might have some cautioning because of the team you’re dealing with: the Rays. They have made some epic robberies from others in deals. The Pittsburgh Pirates have been burned more than once.

I wouldn’t use this as a factor in whether or not to make a move, though. You trade for Kiermaier because he can help your team. You don’t shy away because you think the other team could swipe a prospect and turn him into the next superstar.

This leads back to the big question: is Kiermaier the right fit for the Phillies?

That all depends on what they plan to do around him. Trading for Kiermaier and hoping he has a good 2022 season doesn’t work. The Phillies need more. They need a bullpen. They could use another starting pitcher. Add another bat to the lineup and maybe we can start talking about how strong of an addition Kiermaier is.

There’s a lot to like about his defense. And last year, after three straight seasons of hitting under .230, he did bat .259/.238/.388. However, he did keep up with the trend of not playing all that often. Kiermaier has only one season of 500+ plate appearances and a whole lot of trips to the sidelines with an injury. Unpreventable, trading for Kiermaier means having a suitable enough backup plan in place.

Unless the Phillies can find that somewhere, which they most certainly can in free agency with those third-tier outfielders, giving up anything for Kiermaier is an empty endeavor without enough payoff.