Phillies 2016 MLB Winter Meetings Recap and Review
By John Town
Signing Benoit
The biggest move the Phils made at the meetings this year was signing relief pitcher Joaquin Benoit to a one-year, $7.5 million deal. The 39-year old reliever spent time with both Seattle and Toronto in 2016, posting a 2.81 ERA in 48 innings. Benoit is poised to be part of what could be an intriguing battle for the closer job next season in spring training.
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Overall, the Benoit signing was a good one. He adds a veteran presence to a young and inexperienced bullpen, yet it also has plenty of potential. Even if he doesn’t pan out, his one-year contract means that he won’t bog down the Phillies in the long-term.
However, general manager Matt Klentak and the team fully believe that Benoit will succeed. Klentak told Jim Salisbury of CSN Philly:
"“[A]s we drilled down into the data — strikeout rates, walk rates, batted-ball tendencies — there are some underlying things that he’s always done in his career that we think make him a pretty good candidate to have another good year.”"