The Phillies held 2-0 and 3-2 leads in the NLCS, but dropped Games 6 and 7 at home to fall short of another World Series appearance. There is no doubt the Phils will reload for another championship run in 2024, yet they’ll have to address the possible departure of two long-time franchise staples.
Guaranteed Contracts
- Trea Turner, SS: $272.73MM through 2033
- Bryce Harper, 1B/OF: $196MM through 2031
- Nick Castellanos, OF: $60MM through 2026
- Taijuan Walker, SP: $54MM through 2026
- J.T. Realmuto, C: $47.75MM through 2025
- Kyle Schwarber, OF: $40MM through 2025
- Zack Wheeler, SP: $23.5MM through 2024
- Jose Alvarado, RP: $18.5MM through 2025 (includes $500K buyout of $9MM club option for 2026)
- Matt Strahm, RP: $7.5MM through 2024
- Seranthony Dominguez, RP: $4.75MM through 2024 (includes $500K buyout of $8MM club option for 2025)
Total 2024 commitments: $179.9MM
Total long-term commitments: $724.73MM
Option Decisions
- Scott Kingery, IF/OF: $13MM club option for 2024 ($1MM buyout; Phillies also hold $29MM worth of club options on Kingery for the 2025-26 seasons)
Arbitration-Eligible Players (projected 2024 salaries via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)
- Jeff Hoffman (5.084): $2.1MM
- Ranger Suarez (4.112): $4.7MM
- Gregory Soto (4.102): $4.9MM
- Jake Cave (4.071): $1.4MM
- Edmundo Sosa (3.140): $1.7MM
- Dylan Covey (3.138): $1MM
- Garrett Stubbs (3.120): $900K
- Alec Bohm (3.106): $4.3MM
- Non-tender candidates: Cave, Stubbs
Free Agents
Only four of the 40 players drafted by the Phillies in the 2014 draft ended up reaching the majors, with Austin Davis making 136 appearances (50 for Philadelphia) and Brandon Leibrandt pitching in five games with the Marlins in 2020. Fortunately for the Phils, their other two selections paid bigger dividends, as seventh overall pick Aaron Nola debuted barely a year after his draft date and became a front-of-the-rotation cornerstone. Rhys Hoskins didn’t reach the Show until 2017, but he finished fourth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in his debut season and provided six seasons of solid (126 wRC+) offense as the team’s regular first baseman, after an ill-advised experiment as a left fielder early in his career.
Both players are now set to hit the open market, and for Hoskins, he didn’t even get to properly enjoy what might be a final year in the City of Brotherly Love. A torn left ACL during Spring Training cost Hoskins his entire season, and his subsequent efforts to possibly make it back for some DH duty during the World Series were cut short when the Phillies were ousted by the Diamondbacks in the NLCS.
One of Dave Dombrowski’s first major moves after being hired as president of baseball operations in late 2020 was to re-sign J.T. Realmuto in free agency during the 2020-21 offseason. So, Dombrowski and the Philadelphia organization in general aren’t afraid to bring back their own guys, even at a high price tag driven by the open market. Re-signing Realmuto cost five years and $115.5MM, and it looks like it’ll take way more to bring Nola back into the fold, as reports have suggested that the two sides were far apart in previous extension talks. The Phillies were reportedly looking to retain Nola for four or five more seasons, but the right-hander and his camp was aiming for an eight-year pact worth more than $200MM.
Nola is going to be one of the top pitchers available this winter, and even with the price of pitching always high on the free agent market, it remains to be seen if he’ll be able to approach the $200MM threshold. Nola doesn’t turn 31 until June and he has a long track record of durability, plus 2022 was arguably the best season of his career. However, Nola was more good than great in 2023, as an inflated home run rate led to a 4.46 ERA over 193 2/3 innings, and his 25.5% strikeout rate was his lowest since 2016.
The Phillies will make re-signing Nola “our priority,” according to Dombrowski, so a reunion might well be coming. Or, if the club has doubts about Nola’s production beyond his mid-30’s, the team might feel its free agent dollars are best spent elsewhere. The question then becomes whether or not Philadelphia might make another rotation splash, especially with some other long-term questions surrounding Zack Wheeler’s future.
The 2024 rotation currently lines up as Wheeler, Ranger Suarez, Taijuan Wallker, Cristopher Sanchez, and potentially Matt Strahm as the fifth starter. Strahm looked quite good as a fill-in starter early in the season before being moved back to the bullpen and continuing to excel in relief work. Philadelphia could explore stretching out Strahm in Spring Training to give him a fuller look as a starting pitcher and let him compete for any possible open rotation job. Top prospect Mick Abel figures to make his MLB debut sometime in 2024, and another top minor leaguer in Andrew Painter is likely out of next season’s plans entirely since he underwent Tommy John surgery last July.
It is perhaps worth mentioning the hard feelings that seem to have emerged with Walker and club management, as the right-hander has shown some public displeasure on social media over not being used during the playoffs. This doesn’t necessarily suggest that Walker will be traded or anything, and a deal might be hard to find anyway. Walker had a modest 4.38 ERA and some very lackluster secondary numbers over 172 2/3 innings in 2023, and he still has $54MM remaining on a contract signed just last winter. Cooler heads might very well prevail over the course of the offseason, but this could perhaps be an under-the-radar situation to monitor on the trade front.
Of course, trading a starter isn’t likely to happen until the Phillies have figured out how to replace Nola. If the righty doesn’t re-sign, the Phils could explore signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, or Jordan Montgomery as the team’s next long-term ace. Wheeler is set for free agency himself next winter, and will still command another big payday beyond his age-34 season if he keeps pitching as well as he did in 2023. The Phillies figure to discuss an extension with Wheeler this winter, and if he is amenable to a relatively short-term pact given his age, perhaps he might be the one who ends up with a new deal of four or five seasons.
Philadelphia doesn’t have the deepest farm system in the world, but with the team in clear win-now mode, Dombrowski could again dip into the minor league ranks to explore adding another arm. Tyler Glasnow, Corbin Burnes, or Shane Bieber are all one-year rentals and would be available at the right (hefty) price, while the more controllable starters on the trade market would come at an even steeper cost of talent.
The bullpen also needs some attention, as Craig Kimbrel is set to return to the open market after his one year as the Phillies’ closer. Kimbrel pitched well for much of the season, but a pair of high-profile blowups during the NLCS cost Philadelphia two games and his closer’s role for the rest of the series. While a small sample size, it does continue Kimbrel’s somewhat inconsistent play over the last three seasons, and the Phillies might not want to take a chance again if they have doubts over Kimbrel’s ability to perform in the playoff spotlight.
Jose Alvarado is the obvious internal name to become closer if Kimbrel isn’t re-signed, and if Orion Kerkering is ready for a bigger role in his first full MLB season, the Phillies might look towards only more mid-tier names in their offseason bullpen shopping. Of course, with the team’s propensity for big-ticket moves, there will probably be some level of speculation linking Josh Hader to the Phils until Hader eventually picks his next team.
While Kimbrel, Hoskins, Nola, and Michael Lorenzen represent a decent chunk of money coming off the books, the Phillies already have (as per Roster Resource) roughly $212.3MM in actual dollars and a $228MM luxury tax number attached to their 2024 payroll. Last season’s Opening Day payroll sat close to the $243MM mark, and with a tax number around $263MM — above the second tax tier, but under the $273MM threshold that would’ve triggered a ten-position drop for Philadelphia’s first pick in the 2024 draft.
It isn’t known exactly where managing partner John Middleton might draw the line on spending, but Middleton clearly has no issue in committing big money to keep the Phillies in contention. After the last two seasons’ worth of close calls, Middleton might be even more willing to spend to add the final pieces to the championship puzzle.
To this end, the Phillies will at least check in on Shohei Ohtani out of pure due diligence if nothing else. Obviously such a signing would be an imperfect fit within the Phils’ lineup, as Ohtani in the DH slot would lock in Bryce Harper at first base and Kyle Schwarber and Nick Castellanos into corner outfield duty. But, since the Phillies are one of the organizations with deep enough pockets to meet Ohtani’s record-setting asking price, they make sense as a potential suitor for the two-way star this winter.
Accommodating Ohtani might be a reason for the Phillies to cost themselves some positional flexibility, yet doing the same to re-sign Hoskins might be another matter. Hoskins is likely to just sign a one-year deal this winter as he attempts to prove himself healthy and worthy of a longer-term contract next offseason, so re-signing Hoskins wouldn’t represent a huge investment for Philadelphia. The team might even issue Hoskins a qualifying offer, if they’re okay with paying Hoskins $20.5MM coming off a torn ACL since it’s hard to imagine the first baseman would turn down such a payday. With Hoskins so likely to accept a QO, the Phillies might want to hold off on further clogging their first base/DH situation until they get a better read on Ohtani’s market.
Harper’s ability to handle first base gave the Phils more defensive flexibility last year, allowing for Schwarber to DH and for both Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas to get more looks in the outfield. Harper may also return to at least part-time work in his old right field position, now that he is further removed from his Tommy John surgery. In short, keeping a first base-only player like Hoskins would limit what the Phillies could do around the diamond. Defense continued to be a problem for the Phillies over the course of the 2023 season, and since the everyday lineup is already pretty set, adding a utility type instead of Hoskins would add more overall depth.
The relative stability of the starting lineup presents Dombrowski with an interesting challenge this winter. Almost every team would love to have a core like Philadelphia’s star-laden lineup, and an argument can easily be made that the Phils should just run things back with the same group in 2024 and hope things can fully click in October. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” might apply here, except the NLCS might have revealed some cracks in that foundation.
For instance, could the Phillies explore trading either Castellanos or Alec Bohm? Castellanos hit for more power and had a lot more strikeouts in 2023, but the two were similarly productive overall — Bohm had a 105 wRC+ and 1.1 fWAR, while Castellanos had a 109 wRC+ and 1.0 fWAR. Offense was the backbone of those fWAR numbers, as Castellanos was again very subpar in right field while Bohm actually improved to above-average third base glovework in the views of the UZR/150 and OAA metrics, even if Defensive Runs Saved (-10) continued to dismiss his efforts.
Obviously, trading Bohm would be a lot simpler for the Phils from a salary perspective. The former third overall pick is just entering his arbitration years and is controlled through 2026, while Castellanos’ contract entitles him to $60MM over that same timeframe. Barring taking on another team’s undesirable contract, the Phillies would have to either eat money in a Castellanos trade or include some significant prospect capital to sweeten the pot, whereas a rival club might think Bohm could fully break out with a change of scenery.
Moving Castellanos would further help the Phillies’ defensive issues, as either Harper could just return to right field and a new first baseman (or a re-signed Hoskins) could join the fold, or Philadelphia could obtain a new corner outfielder altogether. Likewise, trading Bohm could open up third base for a better defensive option and a more proven hitter.
This is all easier said than done, of course, and team chemistry elements must be considered beyond just a pure baseball fit. However, Dombrowski has a long history of creative trades, whether it’s trading prospects for proven stars or even dealing an established big league player (i.e. Rick Porcello for Yoenis Cespedes, or Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler) for another that may be a better fit for his team’s needs. While the pitching staff will be the Phillies’ top priority this winter, not much can be ruled out when Dombrowski is making calls, Middleton is willing to write the checks, and the pressure to win is increasing after two near-misses.
In conjunction with this post, Mark Polishuk held a Phillies-centric live chat with MLBTR readers. Click here to read the transcript.
I think we need a conclusion for Mad Dog first before we can speak about anything above.
Atta boy, Phillies.
Get rid of all the chokers.
Seriously, their model works, no matter how stupid it is. They’ve figured out 90 wins is good enough now. And you can get 90 with three good starters and the baseball equivalent of cavemen who only know how to swing out of their shoes.
From there, you just hope the cavemen mash for two weeks. If they can’t, they’re done in 2 games. But if they can, that now passes for a well built team.
The “baseball equivalent of cavemen” is just the opposite, and teams have spent significant resources researching to determine how to score most efficiently. It may not be elegant, but hitting the ball far – and doing so often – is a very good way to win games.
It’s not front offices that are stuck in the Stone Age.
Hasn’t worked for the Yankees recently.
Well, that seals it, if the yankees can’t do it, it’s impossible.
You said that, not me. But thanks for your opinion.
I think you’re spot on with the caveman reference. The Crew is trying to do it with all pitching and no cavemen, and that just doesn’t seem to be enough. It is ugly baseball (Phils) but can’t deny it’s been working.
It didn’t work for the Padres.
Question for Phillies fans: would you want Harper to remain at 1B?
Can he not return to RF (Castellanos to LF) or if arm/injury still a concern, LF for Harper with Castellanos and his seemingly-improved def still in RF. Anything to keep Schwarb from the OF.
Of course. The current roster has a number of players that lack versatility. Moving Harper back to the OF creates a logjam. If you take out the time Schwarber was playing LF, they have a top 5-7 defense. And that’s with Castellanos and Bohm playing full time. While Harper won’t win a gold glove, he was one of the better defensive 1B since he debuted there and has gotten better. It also possibly prolongs his career and lessens his wear and tear.
Signing someone like Josh Bell (if he opts out of Miami) would be interesting. And would definitely help the middle of the lineup. But the Phillies are a little tied up with guys like Schwarber and Castellanos already. Also, their offense isn’t necessarily the issue, it’s consistency and they went cold at the wrong time two years in a row.
Hoskins is the sentimental pick but Bryce Harper 2 weeks into playing 1B was a way better defender than Hoskins has ever been. It complicates the logjam scenario and gives the offensive another wildly streaky and strike out prone RH bat, which they don’t need.
They don’t have much in the way of prospects either. Darrick Hall is probably top of the list but he’s 27-28 already and hasn’t been able to stay healthy and has always struggled with strikeouts. He could maybe do something next year but isn’t likely the long term solution. Carlos De La Cruz is interesting being a 6’8” power bat but he’s an outfielder and he’s already pushing 24.
I think the Phillies also suffer from being in the same division as the Braves. And seeing the Braves steal Matt Olson from the A’s who have been actively setting their franchise on fire. It’s hard to find bats like that, that are available. Dombrowski has a history of making established player trades before. But they have many holes to fill (possibly 2 top of the rotation arms with Wheeler in the last year of his deal and needed back of the bullpen help). They may need to dip into their prospect depth (which is middle of the pack at best right now) to fill those holes and/or get out of a contract like Castellanos’s one. It would be interesting if they tried to acquire someone like a Yandy Diaz or a Jake Cronenworth.
But Bryce Harper playing 1st Base should be one of the things the club shouldn’t worry about. Unless they can move out a contract and get someone there that improves the middle of the lineup. They need to tackle the top of the rotation first. Guys like Yamamoto, Snell, and Montgomery will be high on the list. And with their top overall prospect and possible future ace, Andrew Painter, missing likely all of next year recovering from TJS. I wouldn’t be surprised if they sign 2 bigger name starters if they don’t have a Wheeler extension worked out this winter.
Harper’s arm should be fully recovered. He needs to go back to the OF. Schwarber can DH and until an upgrade signed or acquired, Bohm and Clemens at the corners. I don’t think they need to add much to the lineup unless Castellanos is moved.
I’m in agreement on the rotation though. Obviously Nola will have to be replaced or resigned. I’d expect that Wheeler gets extended.
Kody Clemens is likable but he’s not a ML starter for anyone that has postseason aspirations. At best, he’s a bench bat that starts 1 out of every 6-7 games. He lacks elite power or elite speed so he’s not even exceptionally valuable as a bench player.
The only way this works is if they trade Rojas or Marsh and move Castellanos to LF which he hasn’t want to do and he’s a bad LF. He’s at least subpar in RF. A defensive OF of Casty/Marsh/Harper is much worse than Marsh/Rojas/Harper.
Ideally, they give Wheeler a 3 year extension this winter. Then they try their damndest to sign Yamamoto. If not, then Jordan Montgomery or trading for someone like Bieber/Civale/Glasnow may be a consolation prize.
“Kody Clemens is likable.”
His father was a roid-raging a’hole. No member of that family is likable.
@ Blue Baron –
So what his father did is a direct reflection on him, despite Kody never testing positive for, nor being linked to, PED’s?
My father cheated bsuinesses out of a crap ton of money, has a rap sheet a mile long, and is one dispicable human being I have the misfortune of sharing a name with. None of this I can control..
How does that determine the content of my character? It doesn’t.
KODY Clemens shouldn’t be judged for the poor mistakes his father made and poor character.
You show the sheer lack of your character with your comment.
@Jumps, that’s why I mentioned til an upgrade signed or acquired. I don’t see going into season with Clemens as a starter being ideal. But worst case scenario, the rest of their lineup is so solid it would be tolerable. And I’d say getting Schwarber off the field defensively is addition by subtraction.
I think Chapman would be an amazing fit for Phillies. It would add yet more power to their lineup and would be enormous addition defensively, which isn’t exactly their strong point. Acquiring him tho I’d think would make trading Castellanos a near certainty.
But he sure sounds tough, doesn’t he?
I dunno Jumps, I think they need to do their best to either sign Nola or Montgomery. Hopefully they get one of them.
Ya know, you had me thinking I might be wrong until the ad hominem attack in your last sentence.
In just 11 words, you undid any good from the rest of your post, forfeited any credibility, and automatically lost the argument.
You made a reasonable point that I would consider on its merits without the personal comment, so if you would like to restate it in the kind of tone in which you appreciate being addressed, fine.
Otherwise, thanks for your input, but I have nothing more to say to you, and I will take my win and go home.
To be fair, I detest Roger. But Kody really does seem to be a good egg. Very humble from everything that I’ve seen.
@Blue Baron – Your presumption about Kody Clemens based on his father’s behavior offsets Woods Rider’s comment about your character.
Given his additional insightful comments, I award the win to Woods Rider.
But as I said, he had me about ready to admit my error until his uncalled-for ad hominem attack.
I have no idea why people can’t disagree respectfully.
Rojas can’t hit. He can’t be an everyday centerfielder next year. Marsh will play center, Harper should return to rf, and Castallanos moves to left.Schwarber will be the everyday dh. D D will make at least one trade. He may trade for a first baseman, or possibly sign Hoskins for 1 year. Castallanos has improved greatly in the outfield. The narrative that he is well below average defensively, is far from true.
Either Nola will be re- signed, or the Phillies will add another #2 type starter. I would expect D D to extend Wheeler for 3 or 4 more years.
Kimbrel won’t be back. Hader would be the #1 choice, depending on his demands. The Phillies will sign an established closer.
Castellanos back to 3B.
Castellanos was awful at 3B. He is not particularly good in the OF, but far more tolerable than he played 3B.
Castallanos has improved greatly in rf in the past year and a half. He isn’t a liabilty at all ( anymore). If you followed the Phillies, you would know that he is never removed for a defensive replacement late in the game.
Tl;dr
Harper to OF. Scwarber to 1B/DH. Sign Montgomery. Run it back in 2024.
Worry about 2025 and beyond after 2024.
Schawrber can’t play 1B. No sense in bringing Hoskins back with a 20.5MM QO. Especially since the pick will be a 4th rouner due to Phillies Luxury Tax.
Keeping Harper at first allows Schwarber to stay at DH, Marsh in LF and Rojas in center. It’s better all around defenively. Rojas just need to work on his offense in the AFL.
If you’re the Phillies and you really want to get froggy, call the Angels. Offer 4 minor leaguers AND McGarry OR Abel for Trout and offer to take on 5MM per year of Trout’s contract so long as they take Casty in return.
That right there would be a deal. Trout and Harper on the same field would net MLB a boatload in revenue. Plus, it would give Philly a top rated defense in the OF, add to the offense, and add even more speed on the basepaths. THis is all without saying anything about Trout “coming home”.
It’s wide knowldge that he is fed up in LAA. He has full no trade. I don’t see him holding up a deal to Philly if he has a chance to win, play with another generational talent, AND be 45 minutes from home.
Just my 2 cents.
How is it widely known that he is fed up with Angels?? He made a status quo statement that he was upset with losing and they needed to start winning for Angels fans. That hardly qualifies as anything close to being widely known. Trout has been a consummate professional when dealing with the media and would not bash his own team or make his feelings public. So it’s “wide speculation” not “wide knowledge”, whatever that even is.
And especially if Ohtani leaves, there is no way Angels are trading Trout one of the most marketable players in the game. His contract pays itself and then some due to his marketability.
It’s widely known to wishfully thinking Phillies fans still in shock that they got their butts kicked by the Dbacks in Philly. LOL.
Some of what fans twist into being widely known or common knowledge is quite laughable. Like Ohtani’s status quo statement made in regards to the team he was playing for and his experience to date at WBC. That was twisted into him wanting nothing more than to play for a MLB contender. Yet the people twisting that completely ignore he’s already chose Angels once and the last 2 seasons he has earned more endorsement revenue then any other player. Not saying I believe he ll stay with the Angels as I truly have no clue. But the notion that he is driven by winning seems to be built upon a statement where he said exactly what you would want a player to say. And in reality he has shown $ is definitely important, as he has capitalized a ton on endorsement deals.
I especially love the posts by all the people who say he will definitely sign with the Dodgers, as if they know him.
I’m not sure Trout offers top-rated defense or much speed on the basepaths any more.
Is Schwarber a worse 1B than he is a LF? How much of an improvement would Harper be in LF?
Schwarber is literally the worst OF in baseball. By a large margin. But would he be a worse 1B than Hoskins? Doubtful.
Schwarber will be the everyday dh. He will never play 1b, and if he plays left field, it will be very sparingly.
Move Schwarber to 1B/DH and Harper to the OF. Castellanos played improved defense so not sure if I’d move him off RF but that would be a conversation to have with Castellanos and Harper before spring training started.
Schwarber can’t play 1st.
He can’t play LF either. Hoskins is terrible with the glove and not as big of a bat.
If Schwarber could play 1B they would’ve had him there the day Hoskins got hurt. There is no way they run Clemens and Cave out there while Schwarber is leaving a giant void in LF if he was the solution at 1B.
Harper did adequately and with some off-season work could be a pretty good 1B. From my perspective he mostly had trouble figuring out if it was his or Stott’s ball to get on the grounders to his right. That put him in some awkward positions but that’s his lack of experience showing.
The Phils need to sign Nola (or equivalent) and grab either a CF or LF. Rojas needs more time in the minors. He was vastly exposed in the playoffs. Casty can stay in RF. Marsh will either be the CF or LF depending on who they get. Schwarber can’t be in the field.
Moving Schwarber does not leave a void in LF. Putting Harper back in RF and Castellanos to LF would be an upgrade defensively. It would not be an ideal def alignment, but like you said Schwarber can’t be in the field.
@Tigers. I meant that having the defensive alignment of Clemens/Cave at 1B and Schwarber in LF is the void.
Clemens playing 1B either an OF of Castellanos-Marsh-Harper would be an upgrade. Far from ideal but Schwarber off of the field should be a given at this point.
Your analysis is on the money. Every point you made is correct.
Harper is not going back to 1B. He will be in the OF in 2024. That much is a given. He expressed his desire to do so when healthy last season and the powers that be said it would happen.
So do the Phillies move Scwarber to 1B, re-sign Hoskins to a one year make good deal, use someone else already in the system, or go outside the organization.
That is the question that needs to be answered.
Pancakes, why would there be a void in the OF when it’s a given that Harper is moving back out there. Its only a question of LF or RF for him. The Phillies have no need for a LF or a CF.
Since we know it won’t be Harper, who is filling 1B is the question?
Resign Hoskins?
Move Schwarber?
Others inside the organization?
Someone from outside the organization?
Those 4 are your options.
@Baseball I did say from my perspective. That is the path I’d try to take if I was making the decisions. I don’t have any inside knowledge. Just my observations.
If Harper goes back to the OF, he’ll be in RF. Castellanos will move to LF and Marsh back to CF. In this case, yes, they’ll need a 1B. I can’t see Hoskins being back on anything other than a 1 year deal. Hall didn’t impress me. He seems like a worse version of Hoskins to me. Cave and Clemens are not the answer but did what was expected.
I don’t see much I’d go after in FA. That’s why if I’m the Phillies I’m asking Harper what he thinks about sticking at 1B next year.
Welcome to mute, son. Clueless.
Harper already said he wants to go back to the OF.
If i read it right, Scott Kingery can come off the books too if the Phillies don’t pick up his option. Seems like a easy call.
I look forward to him making another team’s MLB roster as a bench player.
Hoskins will probably be a Cub if we don’t trade for Alonso.
Dream on. Alonso is not leaving the Mets.
That’s possible. Hoskins is a Boras client and he’ll likely be getting some kind of Bellinger contract to see if he can rebound. If the Cubs use Morel as a piece to acquire Soto or a starter. It would make sense to pursue Hoskins. He strikes out a lot, but he has solid power and one of the best walk rates in all of baseball. He’s a NorCal kid, so the Giants may appeal to him. But if he wants to rebuild his value after injury, he’s gonna do that with his bat. And Wrigley would be much more forgiving to him than SF.
@PaulyMidwest: We? What position do you play? Or are you a coach? Maybe you work in the front office or the farm system?
Cubs fans have a weird, childish tendency to wish themselves into actually being members of the organization.
Dude I think you are the childish weirdo. Most sports fans who have truly invested decades and thousands of dollars on a team say”we” Sorry u do not have that kind of. a connection with a team. My first cub game I went to I was nine months old and now I am 38..you and your lady glasses can pedal your dickishness elsewhere.
I do have that connection with a team.
But speaking of childish, what do you accomplish by name-calling? Does it somehow make you feel better about yourself?
Most people do that. If I am talking to someone that doesn’t know whom I root for, I will say that the “Red Sox should do xyz”.. If I am talking with people familiar with whom I root for, I reference them in the first person, not the third person, which would sound odd.
Still not as weird as someone caring on whether people use the 1st or 3rd person, when it should be exceedingly obvious what they are referring to.
Blue….sorry but your argument does not hold water. Tell me how many teams do you know of that DO NOT often introduce players as “Your Chicago Cubs” or “Your Philadelphia Phillies” or “Your New York Yankees” etc?
Teams spend millions in marketing to inspire a deep “ownership” connection with their fans. I have been a Phillies fan since before Dick Allen was RoY and they are my Phillies whether you like it or not. It seems that your argument is with the teams, not those who post on these boards.
Have a nice night.
Mark, you and your colleagues are crushing it with the Offseason Outlooks! Thanks for all the work everyone is putting into these.
Thanks so much!
I agree all of the writers have done a tremendous job with the off-season outlook series. I’m ready for this off-season to begin! My favorite time of the year!
BuT iTs n0T a bAs3bAlL rUmOR
And it’s also “Not a tooma’….”
Hopefully that is sarcasm, Kershaw.
Sign Hader. Sign Montgomery. Run it back in 2024.
That would get it done. Nobody in that FO should even remotely consider bringing Kimbrel back. They’re lucky they got what they did out of him. Hader is lights out, and Montgomery has become clutch. Nola wants way too much for what he is. Durable, but he still provides mixed results.
@BaseballisLife: Sure. As if no other teams will outbid the Phillies for those guys.
When have the Phillies missed on a guy that really wanted? With their top 5 payroll its not like they are scrimping on salaries.
As often as other teams with the resources and willingness to spend at that level.
I asked when did they miss? Who in particular did they miss on? I can’t think of anyone.
Tom Glavine, off the top of my head. He chose to sign with the Mets.
I think he issue here is entirely pitching. Nola is a FA this year, and Wheeler & Suarez are FAs next year, leaving them with only Walker in 2026. If I were the Phillies, I might work backwards. Sign Suarez to an extension and you will have some semblance of a 3-4-5 in the long-run. It might make it easier to sign the #1 & #2 types that they need.
Glasnow seems like good patchwork in case they lose Nola
Only question is what is TB gonna want in return? They’ll probably ask for Painter.
Painter hasn’t madea single pitch in an MLB game (sadly). Neither did Sixto Sanchez when the Phillies traded him to Miami for JTR.
I like Painter. I think trading him for a rental is foolish, however, if a young stud that is controllable for a couple years comes up, you might have to consider it if you are the Phillies.
Painter is a very different scenario than Sixto. Shoulder injuries can be a death knell for pitchers. With TJ surgery they usually come back as good or stronger.
Occasionally you have a Sale or Madsen scenario where it takes 2-3 years for a guy to get right.
Painter has youth on his side though. So hopefully he’ll be just fine.
Like Wheeler a few years ago.
RIP Scotty Jetpax, the story that never was.
Shame really. I wish him the best. He was smart enough to take the money.
Eh if I’m Philly
Candelario is a priority for me. I’d have him play 3B.
Bohm i would shift to 1B
Move Harper to RF
Schwarber DH
Castellanos to LF
Pitching wise I’d target Yamamoto over Nola. If Wheeler walks he has the upside of being a #1, versus Nola who’d likely not improve much.
Hader and Lopez for the bullpen brings that area up a bit also.
After that I’d say they’re on par with Atlanta.
Just consider it done, as if nobody else will outbid them for Hader and Lopez.
What could go wrong?
Nola is a tough decision since he would be so expensive. This looks like the Dombrowski/Sale decision redux….
They are probably gonna package Castellanos with prospects to offset salary in a Trout trade. I honestly could see it happening. It solves for defense as Trout would be fine in Right. It solves some of the swing and miss issues as well and patches the hole in terms of RISP hitting issues.
Then add Hader. You almost have to. And Montgomery or a less heralded version of Montgomery. OR bring back Nola. Improve in the utility spot with a low cost option and that’s your offseason. Maybe ditch some additional salary somewhere, but to me that’s how you retool this team.
Trout for Castellanos adds $15M. Hader + Monty or Nola adds close to $40M. That gets you up to ~ $285M. And your 2025 rotation would be Monty, Sanchez and Walker.
You’re assuming the Agels eat zero salary. Not gonna happen. The trade would probably be a wash financially when all is said and done. Trout has a full ntc. If the opportunity presents itself for him to be a Phillie, it will likely happen.
A trade for Trout? BAHAHAHA…
oh that’s a side splitter! Phillies won’t trade for a cripple, especially not giving up Castellanos. Trout’s time has come and gone.
I 100% could see it happening.
Obviously you can with that username. But more objective observers might not agree.
@Kruk: First, how do you the Angels would take Castellanos? To get Trout, you would have to give up a player or players of their choice. That’s how real trades work.
What if they ask for Bohm, Schwarber, Stott, Suarez, Kerkering, or some combination?
Second, how do you know Hader wants to play in Philly even if they make him the best offer? A lot of teams will be in on him and he’ll be able to write his own ticket.
The Angels could surely hold on to Trout. But the combination of his salary, recent injury history, and his full no trade clause will dictate a lot in negotiations. Philly doesn’t even necessarily need him. But I would be willing to bet that it is a destination close to, if not at the top of his list.
They can ask for whatever they want. But they also have a lot working against them in terms of leverage.
As for Hader, he’s gonna go where he wants. If it’s not here, then we just pivot. I’m not overly concerned about it. Would love to have him. If not, oh well.
Isn’t there a report or social media post by t Walker essentially or interpreted to asking for a trade after being on the post season roster but not used in any games. He’s had a down 2nd half but seriously wanted to play.
I heard that, and I found it annoying. I am quite sure that the Phillies would like to have had Walker pitch like they are paying him to. So Walker is mad at the Phillies because he didn’t pitch well enough to pitch in the playoffs?
The “everyone gets playing time” disappears in about the 6th grade.
Call me a hater…I hate Schwarber! He’s got that face that you just want to punch! OK…that’s out of my system.
He’s literally like the nicest person on the team.
Was just going to say this. He’s probably the most likable guy on their entire roster.
Hard to say. He was more wild than usual this past year. Really took some lumps in AA. But he did finish strong.