Outfielder Brandon Marsh of the Philadelphia Phillies underwent surgery on his left hand just above the wrist after the 2026 season and is available in a trade, according to a report.
The club has told other teams that its outfield situation for next year remains unsettled. That has made the 28-year-old Marsh a candidate for a deal as Philadelphia looks at free agents.
Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported the news based on league sources.
“That means Brandon Marsh is available in a trade, according to league sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss ongoing talks,” Gelb wrote. “It means the Phillies are committed to Justin Crawford, but perhaps not in center field. It means they have checked on many outfield free agents, including those at the top of the class.”
Marsh appeared in a career-high 155 games in 2026. He hit .260 with 18 home runs and 62 RBIs while posting a .304 on-base percentage.
He earned his first All-Star nod but struggled over the final three months of the season. The Phillies were eliminated by the Atlanta Braves in the National League Wild Card Series.
President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said this week that he still views Marsh as a solid player.
“I still think he’s a solid big-league player,” Dombrowski said. “We do think that. He’s a good defensive outfielder in left field and right field. We have to straighten out the second half of the year. There’s really no rhyme or reason that he should play like that the second half of the year. He’s just too good a player to do it. We need to straighten that out.
“Sometimes guys get in a funk, and they just can’t get out of it. We still look at him as a nice, solid. … The one thing, and I said it before: Who knows? Maybe he surprises me. … But I don’t think you can go into the season and say he’s going to play 162 games. Because I think versus lefties, it’s hard to count on him being an offensive producer at this time.”
Marsh made $5.2 million in 2026 after settling to avoid arbitration. He is eligible for arbitration again this offseason with one year of control remaining.
Selected by the Los Angeles Angels with the 60th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Marsh debuted in 2021. The Phillies acquired him at the 2022 deadline for catching prospect Logan O’Hoppe.
In 2023, he batted .277 with a .372 on-base percentage and hit .342 in 12 playoff games.
Hamstring issues slowed him in 2024 and 2025, but he has been a regular in left and center field.
A Marsh trade could provide more roster flexibility as the Phillies pursue free-agent outfielders.
The surgery targeted a problem that affected him for much of the second half. No recovery timeline has been announced.
The front office continues its evaluations after the early playoff exit.
Marsh’s corner-outfield defense remains a noted strength amid the uncertainty.
The team is weighing options to improve heading into 2027.
