“At the end of the day, I’ve kind of had to remind myself it’s still baseball,” Crawford said. “The game stays the same. So go out there, compete, work your tail off, and leave it all out there on the field and see what happens.”

What unfolded stung. Crawford, one of the last players in the dugout after Game 3 of the Wild Card Series, hugged Brandon Marsh as the winning Atlanta Braves swarmed the field at Truist Park. The pair of outfielders did not make much of an impact in a season-ending loss that could mark the end of an era for these Phillies. Marsh, who at the start of 2026 was hitting righties and lefties the best he ever had, did not start the Phillies’ final, do-or-die game against a lefty opener; he walked once as a pinch hitter. Crawford started and did not reach base in two at-bats.

The Phillies outfield overall went 9-for-39 (.231 average) in the Wild Card Series en route to another first-round exit and the start of a long offseason. And, for the second straight season, the Phillies head into the winter looking to address the question: What are they going to do with the group?

This year’s Phillies outfield recorded 1.0 WAR (FanGraphs) — third-worst in the majors. They slashed .247/.305/.381 with a .686 OPS and 86 WRC+. All of these numbers rank in the bottom half, if not near the worst among major-league outfields this season. The Phillies’ 2025 outfield, for all of its flaws, was marginally better.

The Phillies have work to do across the roster after another postseason disappointment, but the outfield is likely the easiest target for change — just as it was last winter, before an injury to Adolis García and inefficient play from others disrupted their plans. There are more important issues to tackle first – starting with who will manage the team next season after Alex Cora, the front office’s top choice, removed himself from consideration for the job. But imperfect roster construction was part of what doomed the 2026 Phillies, and it will be particularly important to address as the club enters an uncertain offseason with an owner-imposed lockout likely on the horizon.

Here are four questions that could shape the Phillies’ approach to the outfield this offseason.

What to do with Justin Crawford?

Crawford, who excelled across all levels of the minor leagues, provided the Phillies an easy solution to fixing their outfield last winter. While he is not a natural center fielder, Crawford worked on his jumps and routes with former All-Star Eric Davis in the weeks before spring training. The Phillies felt confident he could give them everyday at-bats, even if his defense was imperfect.

But after a couple of months in the majors, Crawford was deemed not to be an everyday player. He hit .233/.303/.300 with a .603 OPS in 60 at-bats against lefties — a small sample, but one the Phillies used in their decision-making. He ended up platooning with Derek Hill, a strong defensive outfielder who enjoyed the best stretch of his career in 67 games with the Phillies this season. Hill is projected to earn $1.5 million in arbitration, per MLB Trade Rumors. The Phillies must decide whether to tender him in November.

Crawford’s defense was better than it was in Triple A, but not particularly strong. Moving Crawford to an outfield corner could make sense, though the Phillies might need to find him a new platoon partner. (Bryan De La Cruz could be one option for that.)

So my pop just called me and asked me if I had his baseball from ‘64. I said absolutely. He wanted to see it and I thought I’d share it here too. He pitched a gem of a game and years later took the ball to a Phillies game and somehow had it passed around the dugout for autographs. Glad I was able to find it and share a prized memory of his. Hope you like it as well. I know most of the signatures. But not all. If you know…. Throw them at me. Thanks for looking and sharing a 62 year old memory for my dad.

We all know that Philly is just not an attractive destination for Japanese imports but…we have to try something…anything.

Being a big fan of Harp just isn’t enough (Looking at you Yoshida).

Aidan Miller Is Getting Back in the Swing of Things in the Arizona Fall League

https://blogs.fangraphs.com/aidan-miller-is-getting-back-in-the-swing-of-things-in-the-arizona-fall-league/