Phillies Rumors: Didi Gregorius, Madison Bumgarner Being Targeted

The Philadelphia Phillies appear to not be messing around for a second straight offseason. After landing Bryce Harper and J.T. Realmuto last winter, they're reportedly looking to swing big again this year. Now we have a idea of who they'll target.

Didi Gregorius is a priority

Free agent shortstop Didi Gregorius is reportedly Target No. 1 for Philadelphia as they attempt to rework their lineup. New Phillies manager Joe Girardi had Gregorius on the roster during his stint with the New York Yankees so he obviously knows him well.

Gregorius spent a huge chunk of the 2019 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, so he only saw action in 82 games. He finished the year hitting .238 with 16 home runs, 61 RBI and an OPS of .717. That OPS was way down from his 2018 total of .829.

Signing Gregorius would likely mean current shortstop Jean Segura would need to move on unless the Phillies decide to move him to a different position. Second base is likely out since Cesar Hernandez appears to have that locked down. With Andrew McCutchen and Adam Haseley on the roster, center field appears to be out of the question as well.

Madison Bumgarner contacted

Madison Bumgarner is a free agent for the first time in his career and the Phillies have reportedly been in touch with his representatives. The 30-year-old lefty had a down year in 2019 by his standards but was still pretty good.

In 2019, Bumgarner went 9-9 with a 3.90 ERA, a 1.13 WHIP and 203 strikeouts against 43 walks in 207.2 innings. Between 2017 and 2018, Bumgarner combined to pitch in just 38 games as he dealt with injuries. He fractured his hand early in 2018 and he injured his shoulder after dirt bike accident in 2017. But in 2019 he erased a lot of the concerns about his durability by pitching a full season and topping 200 innings.

A four-time All-Star and three-time World Series champ, Bumgarner is the kind of left-handed veteran arm contending teams crave. If the Phillies are serious about making a run in 2020, Bumgarner would be a great piece to add.