Phillies Reportedly ‘Lurking’ in Market for Former MVP Free Agent
The Philadelphia Phillies are hovering on the edges of the sweepstakes for a former MVP—though they could become more serious contenders before long.
This offseason, Philadelphia’s primary objective has been to overhaul its outfield, and their early free-agent activity reflects that. The club has been linked to nearly every available outfielder, whether via free agency or trade, making a significant move feel almost inevitable. With re-signing designated hitter and MVP candidate Kyle Schwarber topping the front office’s to-do list, any major outfield upgrade will likely come from outside the organization.
How aggressively President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski will invest in an outfield solution—either through a trade or a big free-agent splash—remains unclear. Concrete details about the team’s strategy have been scarce, but with free agency progressing, more hints about their direction are starting to trickle out.
On Thanksgiving morning, Jon Heyman of the New York Post offered another interesting update.
Phillies Seen as a Possible Landing Spot for Cody Bellinger
Former 2019 NL MVP Cody Bellinger, who most recently played for the Yankees, reentered the free-agent market after a strong season in New York. According to Heyman, the Phillies are at least part of the picture.
“The Yankees continue to make Bellinger their No. 1 target, plus Philly and both LA teams are lurking,” Heyman wrote.
It’s a short note, but a meaningful one. Aside from Schwarber’s situation, the Phillies have kept their outfield plans extremely quiet. While “lurking” doesn’t imply an aggressive pursuit, it does indicate Philadelphia is monitoring Bellinger’s market and may be involved to some degree. Heyman also floated the idea of a reunion with Harrison Bader.
Bellinger produced an .814 OPS over 152 games in 2025, slashing .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs and 98 RBIs. Adding the 30-year-old would strengthen Philadelphia’s lineup right away and bolster their defense—especially with right fielder Nick Castellanos widely expected to depart.
Depending on how the market evolves, the Phillies could become more active in talks with Bellinger. Moves are certainly coming; the remaining question is which ones they’ll choose.
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