The biggest question in all of the minds of all Phillies fans is, Who will the front office bring to our city? Read on to see who could be in pinstripes next year!
Money Off the Books
After the 2022 World Series, the Phillies had a lot of money coming off the books. Releasing Odubel Herrera (CF), Jeurys Familia (RHP), and Didi Gregorius (SS) mid-season, and getting them off the payroll helped. But a bigger boost came from the release of free agents. Zach Eflin, Cory Knebel, Chris Devenski, Kyle Gibson, Noah Syndergaard, and David Robertson are all right-handed pitchers who are now free agents. Left-handed pitcher Brad Hand and second-baseman Jean Segura also became free agents.
With the loss of these pitchers, the Phillies currently have about 191 million dollars on their current payroll. Multiple sources say that the Phillies have an additional 55 million /year to spend in the offseason.
Current Line Up
If the Phillies were to start the next season today, there would be some holes in the roster. Let’s take a look at who the Phillies have. In the outfield, there is Kyle Schwarber (Left), Brandon Marsh (Center), and, much to my dismay, Nick Castellanos (Right). Their backup outfielders include Matt Vierling, Nick Maton, and Dalton Guthrie. The corners of the infield are set; Rhys Hoskins is at first, and Alec Bohm is at third. Bohm and Darick Hall could replace Hoskins at first if needed, and Edmundo Sosa, Guthrie, and Bryson Stott could be backups at third. The middle is tough; Bryson Stott could play either short or second base, which is helpful with an excellent shortstop free-agent class.
The Phillies do not need any catchers. J.T. Realmuto has the plate covered; Garrett Stubbs will sub in if needed. Designated hitters are not an issue; they’ve got plenty, as almost anyone can stand at the plate. The Phillies have three solid starters, Zack Wheeler, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez. Other starters could be flip-flopped between the big leagues and minors in Bailey Falter and Cristopher Sanchez. The bullpen is decent. Seranthony Dominguez, Jose Alvarado, and Connor Brogdon have got a good hold. Andrew Bellatti, Nick Nelson, and minor leaguer Sam Coonrod are the backup here.
Who Could Be in Pinstripes?
So based on the roster, the Phillies have one paramount need, a shortstop. Their second need is any form of pitching. The shortstop market has four big names. Division rival Dansby Swanson has played many games and is durable; he’s an all-star and had a .277 BA last season. Carlos Correa could be an option; he batted .291 last year and is relatively young at 28. Xander Bogarets is also a contender; the 30-year-old is an all-star and batted .307 last year – but he would be asking for about 29 million dollars a year.
Of course, the above doesn’t matter if the Phillies can get their hands on ex-Dodger, Trea Turner. He is Bryce Harper’s favorite player, and it has been reported that he wants to come east. Stott would move to second, allowing Turner to play at short. The 29-year-old has a fantastic stat line, a .870 OPS, 275 RBI, 350 runs, and 80 home runs since 2019, and he batted .298 in 2022. This slugger has enough to warrant his induction into the 300 million + club. He is estimated to be earning about 33 million per year now.
Pitching Market
The pitching market is split into two areas, (for me at least) —new options and returning faces. Let’s discuss the returning faces first. Zach Eflin would make around 13 million annually; his 2022 was shortened due to knee issues. If Eflin can stay healthy, he can improve on his 4.04 ERA; he could be used as a starter or a reliever. Noah Syndergaard is another option to be a reliever or a starter. Syndergaard, a mid-season rental from the Angels, would make around 15 million; he posted a 3.94 ERA last season.
New options to the Phillies rotation could be any of the following. Jacob deGrom is good when he’s healthy and posted a 3.08 era in 2022; he’s projected to make 135 million over three years, about 45 million per year. Chris Bassitt is another option from division rival New York Mets; he had a 3.42 ERA in 2022 and is projected to earn 21 million next season. The AL Cy Young winner, Justin Verlander, is available. While it is unlikely for him to come east, he has a 1.75 ERA and worth the chase. Verlander would have a deal similar to deGrom - about 45 million per year for three years. Carlos Rodon is also an option. Rodon is a left-handed all-star with a 2.88 ERA; he’d earn about 32 million. The last option could be Kenley Jansen, the relief pitcher. Jansen had a 3.38 ERA, but 41 saves in 2022. It might be worth investigating him; as he is projected to earn 13 million annually.
My Ideal
Who should the Phillies sign? I’m thinking Trea Turner for sure. Suppose we make the assumption that the Phillies have 55 million to spend yearly and Turner would get about 33 million. Yes, I’m jumping on the Turner bandwagon, and it’s for a good reason; I mean, look at the above stats! With the 22 million left, the Phillies can work on acquiring pitchers. Bassitt could be a match, as he’s projected to earn 21 million. The Phillies could also mix and match, maybe Eflin and Jansen. Now, I have no say, but either of these pitching situations would only help the Phillies.We’ll have to wait and see what Dave Dombroski (Phillies President of Baseball Operations) does and how much John Middleton (Owner) is willing to stretch the purse strings.
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