The Christian Yelich rumors are growing louder.

According to Nick Cafardo at the Boston Globe, the Phillies are hot on the trail for Yelich, the 25-year-old outfielder who has a career .292/.368/.427 line for his five-year career. This year he’s .288/.364/.412 with eight home runs and 44 RBI.

Yelich is signed on through 2022 (that includes a team option) with a friendly contract. The Marlins may be in rebuild mode, but they may not trade anyone until their sale is complete.

That said, this isn’t the first time this year the Phils have been linked to both Yelich and to the Marlins outfield. We all know of the Giancarlo Stanton rumors, and Yelich has been a part of those, too. Considering the wealth of material now out there about this interest, it’s fair to say the Phils are probably looking for either Yelich or someone like him (young, team-controlled, outfielder).

That brings more questions: Does the team think someone like Yelich and both Aaron Altherr and Odubel Herrera (who are similar talents) can coexist? Are Altherr and Herrera available to teams? What do the Phils then think of their outfield prospects (Nick Williams, Roman Quinn, Dylan Cozens especially)?

I’d imagine if a Yelich deal were to take place – whether this season or in the offseason – we’d be seeing a lot more action from the front office.