3 bigger moves Phillies can make before Opening Day after signing Whit Merrifield

2) The Phillies can still use an outfield upgrade and Cody Bellinger is just sitting there

The Phillies lineup is stacked from top to bottom, but the outfield leaves a bit to be desired. Kyle Schwarber settling in full-time at DH and Bryce Harper making the position switch to first base means their outfield is going to be Brandon Marsh in left field, Johan Rojas in center field, and Nick Castellanos in right field. Not bad, but can be improved upon.

Rojas in particular is who the Phillies would be looking to upgrade from. Yes, he showed he was elite defensively in his first MLB stint, but his bat really lagged behind in the playoffs and he proved to be a real liability out of the ninth spot in the order.

Cody Bellinger happens to be an elite defender in center field (and first base) and can give the Phillies a whole lot more offensively. He probably won't replicate last season's numbers, but the Phillies won't need him to. They'll need him to be good, but don't need him to be competing for an MVP award.

Reluctance to give Bellinger the massive deal he seeks makes even more sense than Montgomery with how bad he was in 2021 and 2022, but he'd be another difference-maker that could push this team over the top. They've come so close, and it feels like the Phillies could be one more impactful move away. If they're able to get Bellinger's price down, it'd be more than worth their while to get him to sign the dotted line.