Phillies Hot Stove: Club Currently ‘Not Shopping’ for Additional Outfielders

By Matt Rappa, Sports Talk Philly editor

While in an seemingly constant state of flux — including Andrew McCutchen's recent season-ending injury — the current Philadelphia Phillies everyday outfield set-up of Jay Bruce in left, Adam Haseley in center, and Bryce Harper in right appears to be set — for now.

On Wednesday, The Athletic's Jayson Stark reported that the Phillies are not doing "any further outfield shopping for now," and arguably rightfully so.

Haseley came up with a go-ahead and eventual game-winning RBI double in eight inning of the Phillies' 7-5 win on Sunday against the San Diego Padres; his walk an inning prior sparked the club's three-run rally to erase a three-run, 5-2 deficit. Entering the game, the Phillies were 0-22 in games when trailing after six innings.

RELATED | Haseley's 1st Career Hit Lifts Phillies to Series Win

The Phillies' recent two-game winning streak could not be possible with their biggest contributor, however, in the recently acquired Bruce. Through three games and 11 at-bats in a Phillies uniform, the 32-year-old is slashing .545/.545/1.545 with five runs scored, one single, two doubles, three home runs, seven RBI, and 17 total bases. While he has yet to walk with the club, the slugger has not struck out yet, either.


Clearly, Harper has right field locked down for this and 12 more seasons after; the slugger logged multiple hits in back-to-back games against the Padres, including going 2-for-5 on Wednesday with a run scored, three total bases, and RBI double to pull the team within one during their seventh inning, game-tying rally.

Given recent performance, there is not really a need, at this moment, to fix the Phillies outfield.

Stark added that the current plan, however, is to have Bruce, Haseley, and utility player Scott Kingery share "most" of the left field and center field playing time. The Phillies are also waiting for Roman Quinn (groin) to return before reevaluating their outfield situation again sometime next month ahead of the July 31 trade deadline. On Tuesday, Phillies Manager Gabe Kapler told reporters that Haseley will "have a chance to play regularly," with most reps in center field.

The Phillies are 2-0 with Bruce and Haseley starting in the outfield. The club will have off on Thursday, before beginning a what should be easy, six-game homestand against the National League Central-worst Cincinnati Reds and National League West second-worst Arizona Diamondbacks.

While going just 2-4 over their recent west-coast road trip against tough competition in the Los Angeles Dodgers, followed by the rising Padres, the Phillies could have done much worse. The current Phillies outfielders were a significant part in making sure that did not happen.

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