The Philadelphia Phillies are heading into a very busy offseason. With massive decisions to make on Kyle Schwarber, JT Realmuto, Harrison Bader, and Ranger Suarez, the Phillies will see a lot of moves this winter.
Dave Dombrowski has already begun shaping the roster, as Jose Alvarado’s $9.5 million option was picked up, and recently, a new outfielder was added to the roster.
According to MLB insider Mike Rodriguez, the Phillies have reached an agreement on a one-year deal with 28-year-old outfielder Bryan De La Cruz.
Phillies sign former Marlins, Braves outfielder to one-year deal
“According to my sources,” Rodriguez reports, “Dominican Bryan De La Cruz has reached an agreement with the Philadelphia Phillies. He signed a one-year minor league contract and received an invitation to spring training.”
According to my sources, Dominican Bryan De La Cruz has reached an agreement with the Philadelphia Phillies. He signed a one-year minor league contract and received an invitation to spring training. #BryanDeLaCruz #Phillies pic.twitter.com/wy64dFCvXQ
— Mike Rodriguez (@mikedeportes) November 6, 2025
De La Cruz will be 29 at the start of the regular season, but in his five-year MLB career, he’s been a polarizing outfielder.
With the Miami Marlins in 2021 and 2022, he was a solid hitter with a .269 average and .748 OPS in 173 games played. While not the best player, he had 1.6 bWAR.
However, in the next three years, De La Cruz had a .243 batting average with a .676 OPS and -2.4 bWAR in 318 games.
In 2025, he played in just 16 Major League games with the Atlanta Braves, where he had nine hits, no home runs or RBIs, and 18 strikeouts across 50 plate appearances.
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Against the Phillies in his MLB career, De La Cruz has a .248 batting average and a .739 OPS. His seven home runs against Philadelphia are the most he’s hit against any team in his career.
This is a low-risk move to add an intriguing corner outfield option to the Spring Training roster. With Nick Castellanos and Max Kepler departing the team, adding extra depth to the outfield is necessary.
While De La Cruz might not play in the Majors, his addition is an interesting one for the Phillies as their busy offseason begins.
