MLB Rumors: Phillies Interested In 12-Year Veteran Outfielder

January 06, 2026 , ,
Kansas City Royals outfielder Randal Grichuk hits the ball during 2025 game.

The Philadelphia Phillies are still hunting for a right-handed outfield bat, and Randal Grichuk is now one of the names getting real traction.

The idea is to protect Brandon Marsh from tough lefties, give rookie Justin Crawford a little insulation if needed, and keep the outfield flexible as the club tries to sort out what happens with Nick Castellanos.

Why Grichuk fits what Philadelphia wants

Grichuk turns 34 this season, bats right-handed, and has been used as a lefty-masher for years. For his career against southpaws, he owns a .268/.319/.500 line with an .819 OPS, which is exactly the profile the Phillies have been sniffing around. 

The need is obvious with Marsh, who has struggled badly versus left-handed pitching over his career, and with Crawford stepping into a major league role without much data against lefty arms in the minors. Philadelphia is trying to win now, so it makes sense to have a veteran on hand who can take those matchups without turning every lefty starter into a lineup problem.

What the Phillies are betting on with Grichuk

The selling point is that 2024 version of Grichuk still exists. With the Arizona Diamondbacks that season, he delivered a strong .291/.348/.528 line and crushed lefties to the tune of .319/.386/.528. 

The concern is that 2025 was a step back, as he hit .228/.273/.401 overall while splitting time between Arizona and the Kansas City Royals, and even his lefty split dipped to a .227/.273/.430 line. 

If Philadelphia signs him, they are basically betting that the down year is not the new normal and that a defined role on a contender gets his bat back to playing bully-ball against left-handers.

Philadelphia also has some real roster chess happening behind this. Castellanos is still on the roster, but the noise all winter has pointed to the Phillies trying to move on, whether that is a trade or a straight release if the market does not cooperate. 

Grichuk is not a perfect one-for-one replacement, but he is a cleaner defensive fit than Castellanos, and he would not cost anywhere near the same money. If the Phillies can land a low-cost platoon bat while finishing their catching plan, it is an easy way to tighten the roster without forcing Marsh into matchups that have burned them before.

Photo Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

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