Phillies rumors: B.J. Upton, Nick Swisher

Entering the offseason, one of the Philadelphia Phillies top targets will be at least one outfielder to replace Shane Victorino and Hunter Pence, who were traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Francisco Giants this summer. David Murphy of the Philadelphia Daily News discusses two potential targets for the Phillies, New York Yankees outfielder Nick Swisher and Tampa Bay Rays center fielder B.J. Upton.

Upton is a toolsy center fielder that figures to attract significant attention this winter. However, Murphy notes the 28-year-old has a few drawbacks, one being he hasn’t developed into the offensive force many expected him to become. For this reason, Murphy considers Upton’s expected value of "four-to-seven years at $12-to-$14 million per year" to be a bit "hefty."

While Upton is an option to replace Victorino in center, Murphy believes Swisher may be the better outfield fit for the Phillies:

I still think a guy like Nick Swisher is the ideal offensive fit for this lineup. Of course, Swisher doesn't play center field, and he is five years older than Upton.

Swisher is also likely to demand a serious payday, as it’s been rumored that the 31-year-old could seek a Jayson Werth-like contract this winter. Over Swisher’s nine seasons in the majors, he’s hit .255/.359/.466.